


Eyes on Me

by Light679



Series: Warriors of Galar [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Anal Sex, Anxiety, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Crown Snowfield | Crown Tundra (Pokemon), Danger, Developing Relationship, Dynamax (Pokemon), Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Galar-chihou | Galar Region (Pokemon), Gigantamax (Pokemon), M/M, Making Love, Mind Control, Morning Sex, Multi, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Oral Sex, Pansexual Character, Pokemon Battles, Polyamory, Self-Doubt, Sex, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Sex, Yoroi Shima | Isle of Armor (Pokemon)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:08:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 58,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28950174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Light679/pseuds/Light679
Summary: Six months after Rose was finally put behind bars, some Pokemon with red, glowing eyes appear to be popping up and attacking people. Light, Arie, and our favorite leaders of Galar work together to solve the mystery of why this is occurring, though the eyes seem familiar to Leon somehow...
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Original Character(s), Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers, Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers/Original Character(s), Kibana | Raihan/Original Female Character(s), Nezu | Piers (Pokemon)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Warriors of Galar [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121936
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of the characters  
> All main characters are age 21+  
> Enjoy! (:

“Come on, Absol!” Arie called to her partner Pokemon as they dashed through the Forest of Focus, bounding over fallen branches and rocks as they ran. Their goal as the Applin that was currently scurrying away from them in a fright, but the tall, slender, short-haired girl and her Pokemon were hungry, and they wanted the nectar from the sweet Pokemon to add to their meal: Barboach filet rolled in hand-picked rice and seaweed from the island, with a berry stew for dessert. Sure, she could have just eaten at the dojo with the rest of the students, but what was the fun in that? Besides, it would mean she’d have to wake up sooner than 5 pm, and that just wasn’t happening. 

Arie, whose dark and ghost-type Pokemon matched her preference, preferred to be awake at night, feeling more alive whenever the moonlight hit her skin, or when she stared into the big, reflective eyes of a Bouffalant who could barely see her, much less match her and Absol’s speed. Though, Absol’s bright color didn’t exactly help them to blend into their surroundings. Her Absol was different than most you’d typically see in the wild; hers was red where the Pokemon would normally be a dark blue, blending in with their usually snowy and frost-ridden environment. Red didn’t exactly compliment the atmosphere typically. Arie had found her partner being bullied by the other Pokemon of its type, as well as a few other nighttime predators that preferred to keep the red Pokemon at a distance so as to not scare off their pray with a giant warning beacon. She’d felt instantly attached to the Pokemon- what with not always fitting in with her peers herself. Most trainers, people even, preferred the comfort of the sun, and were slightly unsettled by ghost-types. Not her. Arie found that the spunky, darker types fit her personality just fine. 

The only person back in her home region of Hoenn that had really understood her was her friend and mentor, Phoebe, who’d been in the Elite 4 of the region. Arie herself had reigned as Champion for a few years, before begging Steven to come take back his throne. But even after her departure from the League, Phoebe still remained a close friend and personal connection. Any time the two were in the same region, they made a point to catch up and train together, and of course battling together any chance that time allowed. 

After being released from her position, she’d traveled to Unova for a brief period of time. Something about it had been simply unsettling to her, though, so it hadn’t taken long for her to set sail for Galar. Galar was certainly similar in the sense that there was a large city-life right at the center of it all: Wyndon. Yet, the region didn’t seem as alienating. In fact, the constant spotlight on the Champion made the region seem incredibly cohesive as a whole. The entire region was currently still buzzing about the fact that less than a year ago, the former Undefeated Champion Leon had been defeated by a new Challenger, Light. Six months ago, the couple made their debut to the public, walking hand-in-hand towards Rose Tower one morning. Not that Arie cared about the pair; she could care less. She did find it incredibly interesting that the region, unlike most, didn’t seem to split into different sides of an argument whenever danger surrounding the Champions. It seemed that the leaders of the region, Light and Leon, as well as the other Gym Leaders in the League here, were well-loved enough by all of the region that not much divisiveness occurred among the residents of the region. It had, ultimately been the reason she’d decided to stay here for longer, despite having zero interest in conquering the Gym Challenge and the fame that went along with the position. Arie had felt suffocated, bored as Champion in her home region, and that was with being able to take on another full-time job as the curator of the sunken ship, her favorite part of the region. Most of her time was spent diving underwater to collect sunken artifacts and help further research on some of the legends in Hoenn. She’d worked with Steven to calm the legendary Pokemon Kyogre when team Aqua and Magma had awakened them with the mystical orbs. She’d flown all the way to a spooky, worn-down tower where she met Rayquaza, the peacekeeper between the two large beasts. Rayquaza had chosen her to be its trainer, but she refused. Arie would never capture or become the master of any legendary Pokemon that had a role to fill in any region as its protector. Just like she couldn’t be tied to one region, she couldn’t expect a Pokemon like that to remain tied to one trainer. 

In both Hoenn and Galar, Arie had chosen to study under fighting-type masters: Brawley in Hoenn and Mustard in Galar. Although her dark types were always at a disadvantage to their fighting-type moves, this was how Arie preferred to train. “You’re as strong as your biggest weakness,” Brawley had lectured her over and over again, citing it as the reason for why he’d always kept a Meditite on his team, a balance of his greatest strength and his greatest weakness, though if memory served correctly, Arie was pretty convinced that, rather than psychic or flying types, watching her make out with Flannery may have actually been his greatest weakness. 

From a distance, Arie heard her Absol howl. The sound, she noted, sounded victorious. She dashed over to see her partner carrying the squirming fruit-like Pokemon in its mouth. “Good job sweetheart,” she said, giving her Pokemon a rub on the head before collecting her treasure. She tickled the Pokemon. Not enough to hurt it, but enough to make the Pokemon nervous enough to attempt an attack on her with its nectar. Before the sticky liquid could reach her face, Arie pulled out the empty bottle she’d been saving for this exact moment, catching every last drop into it before releasing the little guy to dart away from the dark trainer and Pokemon. Hunting and foraging for her own food was more satisfying and fulfilling than any meal cooked for her in a cushy building, Arie thought as she bit into her fresh and fishy meal. Though, she could do with some spices. 

It was nearing 4 am by the timer all of her Pokemon and she had been fed. Typically, the dark haired woman preferred to go to sleep later in the day- somewhere around 9 am, but tonight that clearly wasn’t happening. Her chase after the Applin had left her and her team exhausted. She sighed as walked towards the Warm-Up Tunnel, the place where she usually preferred to make camp in a small but untouched crevace of the cave. As she sank to the ground to make her tent, she realized she could feel the gravel and mud farther up her shorts than usual. Looking down, Arie saw a large gash in the back of the fabric covering her left thigh. She sighed and cut the fabric, making both sides even. The clothes she’d been given at the dojo were getting to be on their last legs; these shorts barely covered her bottom at this point. Her tank top had been torn into no more coverage than your average sports bra, though this didn’t really bother the trainer. Being that she slept during the day and was awake at night, it wasn’t often she came in contact with many people, so her apparel was suitable for the time being. She hated that she’d have to ask for more soon, though. 

Her Absol strutted happily inside her cave as she fixed up the last bearings to keep it up. “Thanks for helping,” she muttered at the Pokemon, rolling her eyes at the pride her partner had. For a Pokemon she’d rescued from bullying in its youth, her Absol was a real smug creature. A creature who she now cuddled up to happily, using its soft body as a pillow for her head as she drifted off to sleep within the cool cavern.

In her sleep, Arie saw her Absol dashing through a snowy field, running towards something in her direction. Not something in her direction- her, she realized. Her Pokemon’s usually red eyes were even brighter as it made its way towards her, the entire space of its eye usually occupied with white was now filled with a bright red haze filled with hate and anger. The shape and color of the eyes looked like nothing either trainer had ever encountered in the Glimwood Tangle.  



	2. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back!! 
> 
> I'm trying to make these chapters longer in this story, so I hope you all enjoy!

It had been six months since Rose had been arrested for yet again trying to bring about the Darkest Day. Oleana, whose only motive had been to find the man she loved and run away together, had now escaped herself, although Leon, Raihan and Light had all agreed that she was unlikely to be any more of a threat after seeing the true blackness of Rose’s heart, deciding not to pursue the woman for now. 

After all the wishing stars and pieces had been collected by Oleana, many of the fragments had been scattered across the region, causing Dynamax Pokemon to occur more frequently than they had in the few weeks between the Darkest Day and Light’s run-in with a sudden Dynamax that had knocked her from her Corviknight. Most of the DYnamaxes were spaced out enough that Raihan and Kabu were able to take care of fairly easily between their positions in Motosoke and Hammerlocke. Nessa and Milo often came to help Kabu, the three of them overseeing the areas up until the Dusty Bowl, where Raihan took over. 

Light and Leon had made bi-weekly visits to the Isle of Armor and weekly visits to the Crown Tundra. After Oleana had forced a series of wishing pieces at Calyrex, the Pokmeon had Dynamaxed, and the impact of Calyrex coming down from that Dynamax had scattered wishing pieces and stars heavily throughout the area. Gordie and his mother Melany, who were both familiar with the cold climate of Circhester, offered to be stationed in the Tundra for some time. Marnie and Piers, who preferred the company of themselves to others, decided to help in the area as well, renting their own cabin at the icy paradise to keep themselves from having to spend time with the duo from Circhester, which was probably for the best considering how chatty Melany and Gordy were. The Isle of Armor, on the other hand, had no more Dynamaxes than usual, although Leon and Light helped to oversee the reconstruction of the Tower of Darkness, which had been destroyed by a bomb that Rose and his staff had placed to hurt the two trainers. Six months later, the reconstruction of the exterior of the tower was almost completed. The interior was the part that would be more difficult to obtain, mainly the scroll of darkness that Mustard had created to train the young Kubfu to be ready for its evolution into the dark-type Urshifu. That was a task that would take Mustard a long time to complete.

With the visits to the other areas aside, life had returned to relative normalcy for the three trainers. Leon had returned to his normal duties at the Battle Tower, with the occasional appearance in his Galarian Stars Tournament, and Light had returned to the tournament fully, only taking breaks to travel to different towns and encourage young trainers through press conferences and interviews. And, of course, her favorite part of it all: getting to speak with some of her fans and young trainers directly after the cameras had stopped rolling and she strolled about the town. This was something she’d witnessed Leon do in his role as Champion, and something she was all too happy to retain from his legacy. Seeing the excited young trainers brought joy to the current Champion, though her travels did make her busy. A gym season would be coming up soon, and she would be gearing up for her Championship match against whatever trainer made it to her in the finals. 

One major difference between their previous lives and their current ones: her relationship with Leon. Since the day they’d walked out of the hotel and to the Battle Tower together, linked by their hands, all of Galar was buzzing about the relationship between the two Champions, partly in relation to her split with Raihan. Of course, all three trainers had kept quiet about the intimate details of the situation. Fans weren’t exactly surprised at the silence of the rosy and purple-haired duo, both of them weren’t typically known for making their private lives known to the public, despite the massive fame that surrounded them. Raihan, on the other hand, fans were accustomed to sharing just about every bit of his life with them and were exasperated when he was the most silent of the three about what had happened. Once it finally settled in that Raihan wasn’t going to budge, the media turned quickly to the fact that Galar’s beloved Champion and former Champion were now off the dating market. Although Leon hadn’t exactly dated much even before her, Light found herself the target of a number of cold glares from some of his most devoted female-and male- fans. This she’d at least been familiar with from her relationship with Raihan, who actually had actively dated (although that was probably a generous term for it) a number of his fans. 

Things had been absolutely perfect between Light and Leon the past six months, though the two of them had certainly been busy. Any moment they had available, the pair were inseparable. Most of their time was spent in Leon’s hotel suite, which Light had all but officially moved into, but they indulged in a sweet date night in various areas of Galar together. No matter where they went, they always flew on her Corviknight or his Charizard together. Leon, of course, jumped at any opportunity to have his girlfriend pressed close against him. It had been almost six months since she’d told him that he was the one she chose, and yet he still couldn’t believe Light was his every time he wrapped his arms around her, kissed her, made love to her. He simply couldn’t get enough of every moment. 

After Light had made her choice clear to Raihan, it had taken a few months for things to return to normal. The dragon-type trainer had avoided the Galarian Stars Tournament as much as possible, particularly on days where Leon would show up and battle with Light as his partner. The three trainers still talked fairly regularly, keeping conversations light and mostly sending each other cute or funny pictures of Pokmeon from social media. It was only within the past month that the three of them could be seen talking in person at Hop’s birthday party in the Wedgehurst Pokemon lab. After that Raihan had returned to the tournament regularly, evening teaming up with Light and Leon, appearing to be almost completely back to his normal self in the spotlight. Leon felt a small pang of guilt every time he noticed Raihan’s eyes lingering wistfully on his girlfriend; there was still some healing that had to be done. 

Today, Light and Leon had decided to take a break from the spotlight and their typical duties to explore in the Glimwood Tangle, picnicking together in the colorfully lit forest. The rosy-haired woman had shared with the former champion that this and Ballonea had been one of her favorite places along her travels during her Gym Challenge. For him, too, the quiet wooded area had also held a soft spot, though he’d certainly spent more than enough time lost in the area before actually reaching his destination. He’d even been unlucky enough to run into a shared Shiinotic, which had thrown a sludge bomb his way and ran, poisoning the former champion. Luckily, the poor Pokemon hadn’t had very good aim, so the poison only splashed at his feet, which of course hurt terribly, but could have been far worse. Eventually Sonia had caught up to him, her Yamper leading the way to the Ballonea Pokemon Center. But not without a proper scolding, of course. 

“Okay, I’m dying to know what you brought on this picnic,” Leon said as they sprawled out on the ground. He reached over her towards the basket. Light giggled and held it farther out of his reach, kissing him sweetly. 

He dropped his assault on the basket, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her. Her rose-gold hair had grown out over the past six months, now tickling the tops of his hands as he held her. “I wasn’t hungry for food anyways,” he purred, pulling her closer.

“Leee-onnn!” she scolded, pushing him away playfully, shoving the basket into his hands. “You’re such a fiend!”

Leon grinned. “Maybe a little,” he admitted, carefully opening the array she’d packed for them: a spicy curry which he could smell even through the containers, a few small pieces of cake that they’d baked together the previous night, some berries, bread rolls and sparkling water. All besides the water, she’d hand-cooked or picked just for their outing today. He had no idea how she found the time to gather all of this together, spoiling him so much. “You’re seriously the best, how in all of Galar did I get so lucky?”

It was Light’s turn to grin, accepting the compliment as she opened her container of curry. Today marked exactly six months since she’d saved Leon from Rose, almost losing the man she loved. It marked six months from the day she’d told him that he was the one meant for her, and not a single time over the past six months did she doubt her decision. Naturally, she felt the need to spoil the former champion on their unofficial six-month anniversary, the longest either of them had been in any form of a relationship. They finished their meal, happily chattering away about Leon’s most recent battles in his tower, and her experience teaming up with Swordbert and Shielbert the other day in the Galarian Stars Tournament. Despite being together constantly, they seemed to never run out of things to talk about. As they stood up to continue their hike, the mushrooms that lit up the area around them went dim, and Light could hear the quick prodding of footsteps rustling in the grass nearby. Something- or someone- was messing with them. Light had a fairly good idea as to who.

“Okay Bede, I get it, you’re the one who’s in charge here in Ballonea,” she called out into the darkness. No response. 

“Light, look,” Leon whispered, gesturing for her to look over past him on his right side. Light saw a pair of sinister, red-glowing eyes glaring at the two of them. The Pokemon’s eyes resembled nothing like anything either trainer had seen in the Glimwood tangle before and were filled with an intense anger and hate as it slowly crept forward. The former champion moved to stand protectively in front of Light, releasing his Charizard from its Pokeball. 

At the sight of the Charizard, the wild Pokemon charged. As it got closer into view, they could see that it was a Morgem. The Morgem charged past Charizard and towards the two trainers, snarling with fury as it approached. Light sent out her Dragapult, who quickly darted towards the angered Pokemon. Charizard snaked back around, grabbing the impish Pokemon by its tail and lifting it off the ground. The fire type whipped its neck around to throw the Pokemon into a tree before the ghostly dragon could get to it. The Morgem shot up instantly, its red eyes now focused on Charizard. Dragapult attacked first this time, shooting a beam of dragon rush towards the imp.

The imp got up, more slowly this time, and continued forward. This Morgem was stronger than ones Light had typically encountered. Did it have something to do with the red eyes? Seemingly wondering the same thing, Leon threw a Pokeball at the creature, curious as to how the Pokemon would react. The imp-like Pokemon knocked the ball aside easily, completely unphased as the ball rolled to the ground. It was almost as if the Pokemon couldn’t be caught- similar to a Pokemon who’d already been caught by another trainer. Leon looked around the dimly lit area, not seeing a single other trainer in sight, though it wouldn’t be hard to miss another person, with how dark it was currently. The only clear thing that could be seen in the area was the bright redness of the Morgem’s eyes. 

A flash of realization went through Leon. “Mr. Rime,” he said, recognizing where he’d seen the red glow before. The Morgem’s eyes looked exactly the way Mr. Rime had looked when Rose had used the mind control device on his Pokemon to force him into hypnotization to hand over Eternatus’ Pokeball to him. “Light, he’s being controlled! I’m gunna take Charizard and try to go find the trainer.”

Light grabbed the purple-haired male’s wrist before he could take off. “Zero chance Lee, you’ll never find your way back. I’ll go look.”

She was right, of course. Especially in this darkness, Leon wouldn’t find his way back. He sighed. “Fine, but then you take Charizard so his tail can light your way.” The fire-type nodded, following Light’s lead. Dragapult turned and nodded to him, understanding that it would be fighting under Leon’s command. Thankfully, in the months they’d spent together, their teams had grown close, as if forming one large team together. Charizard was almost as attached to Light as it was to him. Often times, the fire type would opt to cuddle the rosy-haired woman, acting extremely jealous whenever its trainer tried to steal her away. Her Dragapult, which wasn’t cuddly or overly outwardly affectionate by nature, showed its affections by battling for him now. 

Light and Charizard wandered further into the forest, touching as many mushrooms as they would find to activate the colorful spores in the fungi that lit up the wooded area. Apart from their footsteps and the clashing of the Pokemon that were now behind them, the tangle was silent. The normally active fairy types were nowhere to be seen as they searched. Which wasn’t entirely out of character with the entire forest being dark seeing as those types preferred the soft, colorful glow. 

“Do you smell or hear anything, Charizard?” she asked her boyfriend’s Pokemon, giving its neck a gentle pat as she stopped to survey the area. The fire type shook its head, then suddenly jerking its head towards the direction they’d come from. Charizard took off flying in the direction without warning, leaving Light to sprint behind it. 

When they arrived, Charizard roared, shooting its powerful flamethrower at the Morgem. Light, now in view of her boyfriend, could see that the Morgem had targeted the former champion, who now had a small scratch that ran down his arm. His partner had smelled the blood or head the struggle (Light wasn’t sure which). Luckily, even this stronger, angry version of the Pokemon was still relatively weak and hadn’t done much damage. With the heated blast, the impish Pokemon finally fainted with a soft plop onto the grass. 

“Lee, are you okay?” she asked, quickly running over to him and inspecting the wound. Charizard’s haphazard flying had crashed into several mushrooms, lighting up the area so that she could finally see the area once more. Though the wounds clearly weren’t deep, they would certainly need to bandage them before flying back to Wyndon. Light hurriedly packed their belongings into her backpack, returning Dragapult and readying Charizard for a short flight over to Ballonea. 

“I’m fine,” Leon said, more concerned about the situation. “Did you and Charizard find anything?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“It looked exactly like Mr. Rime did six months ago.” Leon shuddered again, remembering the way his Pokemon’s eyes had bored into him with pure anger and hatred before hypnotizing him. He still hadn’t been able to use the Pokemon himself, waking up to frequent nightmares about what could have happened under Rose’s control if Light and Raihan hadn’t arrived when they did. 

Light put a hand on his arm that wasn’t bleeding. “I believe you,” she told him. She’d woken up to him calling out in fear, pain, anger- just about every emotion possible after he’d had these nightmares, holding him in her arms until he was calm enough to fall back asleep. There’d been several nights when the dreams had been bad enough that the two of them stayed awake, nestled in each other’s arms as they watched the sun rise over Wyndon. His face was sure, confident in what he’d seen. “We’ll go talk to Professor Magnolia. But first, we need to get you fixed up.” She pointed at Charizard. Leon pouted, eager to share his findings with the professor, but climbed onto his partner behind her, making the trip quickly.

They were met by Bede as they entered the sleepy town. “My Pokemon could sense something was wrong in the tangle,” he said, and then noticed Leon’s bleeding arm. “What did you do?” 

The Champion glared at the blonde man. “It’s fine now. I’ll explain once my boyfriend isn’t bleeding out in front of us.” A slight edge of annoyance seeped into her tone. She was usually good at dealing with the fairy-type gym leader’s backhanded insults and his blaming her for all of his problems, but today wasn’t the day to deal with his pettiness.

Sensing her tone, the male relaxed his features, nodding. Bede had a soft spot for the former Champion, at least, who’d given him a second chance to challenge her, his rival before the Championship Cup. The fairy-type trainer had gotten disqualified from the Gym Challenge after acting on Rose’s behalf, and Leon had graciously accepted him back into the League as the fairy-type Gym Leader under Opal’s guidance. Despite his clear distaste for the older woman, the new role was well-suited for him. Leon also had a suspicion that Bede had a soft spot for Light that he’d never admit to the world, a respect for her strength as a trainer. It was impossible not to. Besides, Leon thought, if it were Hop who’d spoken to him in that tone, the fairy-type trainer would have gone on a full-offensive front. 

They walked into the Pokemon Center and allowed the medics to bandage up Leon’s arm as they talked. “Bede, have you seen any Pokemon in the Glimwood Tangle with red, glowing eyes?” Light asked him when things had settled a bit.

Bede thought for a moment before answering. “I’m assuming you don’t mean Slurpuff?”

There he went again with the backhanded insults. “Pokemon that aren’t supposed to have red eyes, like a Morgem,” she explained, trying to keep her tone cool. Leon chuckled at the banter. When she and Raihan had first started their flirty, argumentative banter, the former champion had always been enthralled at hearing stories of her fiery personality. Sure, she was as sweet as Cottonee Candy, but that didn’t mean that the woman couldn’t hold her own in any battle, Pokemon or otherwise. Thankfully, her banter now was anything but flirty and he found the heat in her eyes endearing. 

The fairy-type Gym Leader smiled a cocky half-smile. He’d clearly noticed the strain behind her tone to keep calm as well. Thankfully, to Light’s surprise, he suppressed the urge to quip back and instead looked at her seriously. “I’ve never seen anything out of the ordinary. If anything, the Pokemon in the forest have been quiet the past few weeks, which was why I was surprised to hear there was a commotion today. Leave it to you to find the trouble.”

Leon laughed before he could stop himself, which earned Light’s glare to be turned on him. “Sorry,” he mumbled between laughs. “You just attract danger like a Frosmoth to a flame.”

She rolled her eyes, but smiled at her boyfriend, who wasn’t exactly wrong. “We were picnicking and came across a Morgem with glowing red eyes. It was stronger than a normal wild Morgem in the Tangle, and seemed to be targeting me and Lee more than our Pokemon. We’ve seen this happen before six months ago when Rose used some device to control Leon’s Pokemon.” She didn’t go into too many details, in an attempt to avoid re-triggering her boyfriend’s memory, though that ship had likely already sailed earlier. “We haven’t seen anything like that since then though, so I thought it had just been a one-time occurrence. We’ll keep an eye in Wyndon, can you keep tabs on the Tangle?”

Bede nodded, all notes of his cocky teasing had vanished “I’ll do that,” he promised. He gave the two a slight nod before ducking out of the Pokemon Center. 

“We should probably fly straight to the Professor’s house after this,” Leon said, gesturing to the bandages on his arm. He was eager to confide in the smart older woman about this occurrence, unsure of how wide-spread or dangerous this new device or phenomenon may be. A device that controls other people’s Pokemon or wild Pokemon wasn’t something he wanted to see widespread across the region. It wouldn’t happen ever again, if he had anything to say about it. 

Light nodded in agreement, noting the worry behind his eyes. She took his hand in hers, seeing some of the tension in his features release. On the day Rose had used the mind-control device on Leon’s Mr. Rime, she hadn’t been able to see the Pokemon’s eyes or expression, but after seeing the pure anger and rage in the Morgems eyes, could only imagine the horror of having one’s own Pokemon look at them in the same way. She’d do whatever it took to help erase that image from his mind- or at least his current worries. They would find whoever- or whatever- had that device and stop them. 

It had been a long time since either trainer had been to the professor’s house directly- not since that first week when Leon had endorsed Light and his brother Hop to go for their Gym Challenge. Usually if either trainer needed anything, they’d go to Sonia and Hop for their expertise, giving the younger trainers a chance to hone their skills as researchers. This problem, however, seemed a little outside their realm of study, and Galar for that matter, which is why the trainers had asked Hop and Sonia to meet them at the professor’s house. 

“Well, if it isn’t our Champions,” Magnolia said as she brewed some tea in her kettle on the stove. “What brings you here today. Surely this isn’t a social call.”

“Professor, have you ever encountered a device that mind-controls Pokemon? One that turns their eyes red and makes them attack humans?” Light asked once everyone had arrived

Magnolia frowned, placing her hand on her chin as she thought. “Hmm,” she mused as she poured cups of tea for each of the trainers in the room. “I’ve heard rumors of a device originating in the Unova region but haven’t ever heard anything that confirmed the tale. Granted, I don’t have many contacts in that area to know for sure. You said the Pokemon attacked you, not your Pokemon?”

Leon gestured to his bandaged arm. Small traces of blood seeped through the bandages. Light wondered if that had been a result from flying Charizard over here and decided they would be taking a Flying Taxi back to Wyndon, despite the fact that it would be considerably slower. “We were attacked by a wild Morgem in the Glimwood Tangle,” Leon explained. “It had glowing red eyes and was stronger than most others of its type. It went straight for us, not our Pokemon. It was almost as if we’d done something to provoke it. I’ve seen the red eyes before, though. Six months ago when Rose used some device to control my Mr. Rime into using its Hypnotize on me.” He shuddered. “I’m positive the eyes looked exactly the same. My guess is they’re connected somehow.”

“I believe you to be right about that,” the professor said, still humming softly as she stirred at her mug of tea. “I’ll reach out to what connections I do have over there and see if I can’t find more information. Sonia, Hop, dears, you should be present for this. The two of you will need to start making connections in the other regions if you want to be a first-rate professor, especially if you decide to travel and study in these other regions someday.”

Hop beamed. Leon and Light noted that he was clearly excited at the opportunity to continue his growth down the path he’d decided for himself. “All right!” he cheered quietly. “I’ve always wanted to meet the great professors from other regions!” Light couldn’t help but giggle slightly at his enthusiasm. Leave it to her best friend to turn any situation into a positive somehow. She knew Hop was going to work towards becoming considered the best professor the region had ever seen, similar to the way he’d tackled him Gym Challenge with the intent to becoming the strongest trainer the region had ever seen. It was great to see her friend in a role that didn’t cause him self-doubt, and where he didn’t feel the pressure of living up to his big brother. He was making his own path, writing his own story now, and it suited him.

Leon smiled too, proud of his younger brother for his hard work. “Don’t be giving those Unovian professors too much grief,” he teased. Hop stuck his tongue out at his older brother, earning a laugh from the younger trainers in the room. For a moment, having everyone together and joking around like old times helped Leon relax just slightly. Light, Hop and Sonia had been the ones to figure out how to help him on the Darkest Day; surely the four of them plus Professor Magnolia could stop this from becoming something truly terrible, working together as they were now. Light leaned against his shoulder and his world righted itself even further. “Hop, can you keep an eye on the Wedgehurst and Motosoke area, especially the Wild Area?” Leon asked his younger brother. In his experience, the Wild Area was always a breeding grounds for trouble, and for something more serious to go unnoticed. “I don’t want to cause the other Gym Leaders and the people of Galar any worry until we know something more.”

Hop nodded. “You lot should probably tell Raihan, though,” he said, not meeting their eyes. The Champion and former champion had disclosed almost all of the drama that had ensued between the three six months ago, and they could tell he was being careful not to dredge up old memories now that the trio were finally returning to normal. “Hammerlocke is a big city that shouldn’t go unprepared, especially what with the Powerplant under the stadium.”

Light nodded. “I’ll call him,” she said, getting up from her current position nestled in Leon’s arms and walked outside. The dragon-type Gym Leader had been in contact with her more than his best friend the past few weeks. Besides, Leon had enough on his plate, what with the internal wounds caused by trauma that this event must have reopened. 

“Hey Princess,” Raihan said, answering the phone on the first ring. Although they’d broken up, his pet-name for her had still stuck, much to her proper embarrassment. “What’s the word?”

“Hey Rai. Remember the device Rose had when he’d forced Lee’s Mr. Rime to use Hypnotize on Leon?”

The darker man flinched. Of course he remembered. He’d remembered everything from that absolutely excruciating day, including of course, the fact that his best friend had almost been killed by the hand of his own Pokemon, who’d been under the control of Rose the entire time. “Yeah, what of it?”

“Lee and I just saw a Pokemon in the Glimwood Tangle- a Morgem that had the same red glow in its eyes that Lee said Mr. Rime did when Rose used the device on him. There might be more of those devices here in Galar.”

“I’ll keep an eye around Hammerlocke,” he promised. Despite his goofy and cocky exterior, Raihan took his job to protect Hammerlocke and the people in it incredibly seriously. “Anything else I should know?”

She nodded. “The Pokemon seem to be stronger, and really angry when someone’s using the device on them than normal of its type. The Morgem also was intent on attacking me and Lee, rather than having a Pokemon battle like a typical wild Pokemon. If one of these gets into Hammerlocke, or any big city, it could be really dangerous. You and I both know how the Wild Area can get- a lot of things can go unnoticed there for a while with how unpredictable and unpopulated it is. Magnolia and Sonia and Hop are going to look into this device from other regions. The Professor said something about rumors of a similar device in Unova. Until we know anything, we’re keeping it under wraps and just monitoring the area. Something made the area around us go dark, so we weren’t able to see anyone else in the Tangle besides us. Whoever’s causing this does not want to be seen.”

“You got it Princess, I kick those little shits to the curb if they try to get in my city.” Raihan laughed heartily at the thought of an angry, wild little Pokemon trying to scurry past him. He sobered up quickly. “Hey, is Lee doing okay? Can’t imagine I’d feel anything less than like shit if my own Pokemon turned on me like that.”

Light sighed, “He’s been better,” she admitted. “We’ll let you know if we hear anything more, okay? Be safe.”

“Thanks for the heads up. I’m starting to think you like the danger.”

She rolled her eyes. “If my life had no danger ever again, it would be too soon. Bye Rai,” she said, and hung up before he could distract her again. There was still some slight pain behind the Gym Leader’s expressions, she noted, during their video call, but mostly things had returned to normal between the two. Though, she couldn’t say the same for the two men, who were still more than a little awkward, although they were finally at a point where they could spent time together, with all three of them present. Leon’s awkwardness stemmed mostly from the guilt he felt at ultimately stealing his best friend’s girlfriend. Not that her or Raihan viewed it that way, but that didn’t stop Leon from feeling as though he’d done something wrong. 

The purple-haired male stepped out of the professor’s house just then as she’d hung up. He smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug and burying his face in her rose-gold hair. She returned the embrace, slinging her arms around his shoulders. They stayed like that for a moment, allowing Leon to bask in her silent comfort after the long day they’d both had. There was no doubt they’d talk about his fears the moment they reached their suite in Wyndon, but for now he chose just to be with her in that moment. 

His eyes were heavily lidded as she pulled away. “We’re definitely calling a Flying Taxi,” she stated, using her app to call one to them while taking in his sleepy state, remembering that the former champion had gotten up earlier today than usual to take care of his responsibilities before they took the afternoon off. He pouted, mumbling something she couldn’t quite understand about his Charizard, but ultimately agreed. 

They weren’t inside the cab of the taxi for more than two minutes before Leon fell asleep leaning against her shoulder. She draped his cape over the two of them like a blanket, watching the soft features of his face rise and fall as he dreamt, a slight smile on his face. At least for now, he was having a pleasant enough dream.


	3. Another day, Another new face

Raihan was glad that Light hadn’t noticed where he was, or that she’d at least not made note of it on their earlier phone call. He’d been at Hammerlocke’s tavern with Gordie, or well, he’d been outside the tavern for his conversation with his ex-girlfriend at least. The rock-type Gym Leader had expressed interest in going out to the tavern in search of liquor and one-night stands. The dragon-type Gym Leader, for the first time in almost 9 months, was ready to start back up again. Before his relationship with Light, Gordie, who preferred to escape to Hammerlocke and his fame in Circhester, served as a mutual wingman for Raihan whenever they’d go out together. Although he took her warning of the mind controlled Pokemon seriously, it wasn’t as if the Pokemon would begin spawning tonight. He deserved one night of fun at least, he thought. 

“What was that all about?” Gordie asked, chugging his beer as Raihan returned. 

“Just Light with more danger for the Galar region, as usual,” he joked, to which the rock-type trainer laughed. Gordie had never been close with his ex-girlfriend but was certainly aware of the stories of trouble she’d found herself in the middle of constantly. Now as Galar’s Champion, she would be involved in just about every ounce of danger that threatened the region. 

“You dodged a bullet, I’ll say,” the blonde-haired man continued, ordering another round for the two trainers.

Raihan glared at him. He certainly wouldn’t say that. “Shut the fuck up, man,” he grumbled. It was his turn to chug. Sure, he wanted to stick his head into the flaming hot tail of Leon’s Charizard every time he heard Light say her boyfriend’s name, but that didn’t mean he regretted anything that happened, especially not that he’d ever been with her. It had never been Light’s fault that she constantly attracted danger. 

The other male put his hands up as if to signal a surrender and turned back to the tv screen, broadcasting some rerun of a Pokemon battle. This was Gordie’s typical move: watch the battle until a fan bold enough came up to introduce herself. When it came to Gordie, any woman with enough balls to approach him had a pretty high likelihood of success in going out with him. Luckily for the rock-type trainer, Hammerlocke was big and bustling enough that fans still hadn’t caught onto his pattern yet, meaning he still only encountered the truly bolder women, which of course were his type. Sure enough, his attention was soon pulled away by a pretty blonde woman. The woman had clearly visited a few tanning salons and wore far more makeup than Raihan cared for. Of course, Raihan wasn’t the attention she was seeking currently. 

He looked around the room, slightly bored. What exactly had he done in these situations, less than a year ago? Surely it wasn’t usually this hard to make conversation with strangers. In fact, Raihan had typically already left the tavern with some woman by now. And sure, if he’d been the same man that he was eight or nine months ago, he’d have done the same tonight. But his relationship with Light had changed him. Now, as he looked around the bar at the women who eyed him hungrily, twirling their hair around their fingers flirtatiously, he found himself wanting something…more. Even for a one-night stand, he craved a woman who could hold her own in a conversation. 

And he found it as a woman with short, black hair and slender features strode up next to him, ordering a whisky sour from the bartender, which she slammed back with ease and ordered another. Her features were striking- pointed yet were set in a hard expression with every movement she made. She was as thin as an Inteleon, though it was clear it was due to rigorous exercise rather than a lack of meals. Raihan noticed that though she wore a plain black tank top, her shorts were the same as the ones worn by all students who trained at the dojo on the Isle of Armor. “You’re a long way from home,” he teased, gesturing to the symbolic shorts she wore. 

“More than you’d ever know,” she joked back. Her voice was deep, a rich blend of alto notes. Her eyes, as they turned on him now, he noted, were violet. 

“Take it you’re not from Galar?” He asked, intrigued by her statement. 

She grinned, flashing a small tin containing a Hoenn ID and eight gym badges, from the Hoenn region. Raihan recognized those immediately, being friends with Kabu who’d originated from the area. “Not exactly.” He swore to Arceus that her teeth were pointed, at least her canines, making even her smile intimidating. “A friend of my dad’s suggested I come train at the dojo. I enjoy training under fighting types,” she continued.

“Let me guess, that friend goes by the name of Kabu?”

“How’d you know?”

Raihan grinned, clearly she hadn’t been that close with the fire-type leader herself. He picked his league card out of his collection. “Kabu is a Gym Leader here himself now. He spent a good deal of time training me himself, though he’d a little too serious and rigid for my taste sometimes. So, you like fighting types huh?”

“I never said that,” the woman said with a sly smile. “Only that I liked training with them.”

This puzzled Raihan. Usually when people trained with a type for an extended period of time, they were learning the strengths of that type to optimize for their own Pokemon’s training. “What type do you use then?”

Another sly grin. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She started to walk away having finished her second drink, but Raihan gently caught her arm, dropping it as soon as she spun around. 

“Wait, can I at least get a name?”

“Arie,” she said, walking away. Raihan saw Arie wrap an arm around the waist of a woman that had been waiting patiently, coat in hand, by the door for her, whispering something in her ear. It had been crowded, and he was a little tipsy by now, but could have sworn he saw her nip the other girl’s earlobe before pulling away. The two walked out of the bar, Arie’s arm still around what appeared to be her date as they did. 

Raihan grinned, shaking off the encounter. Clearly, he was off his rocker if he was going after females who would prefer the company of other females. He decided to wander over to the cute redhead that had been eyeing him from across the bar the entire night. 

The next morning, his head pounded with regret and alcohol and late-night sexual antics that had occurred. It had taken nearly half a bottle of wine to get the image of Light out of his head, and the other half to rid himself of the sexy stranger from earlier before he could focus on the redhead he’d taken home. The entire encounter had been a disaster and his date had made a hasty exit afterwards. It wasn’t an experience Raihan planned to repeat any time soon. 

After a shower and just enough coffee to clear the lingering effects of the alcohol from the previous night, Raihan remembered his conversation with Light from earlier that night and decided to take a trip to the Wild Area to check for anything suspicious. It wasn’t as if he expected to find anything today; what she and Leon had seen yesterday was an isolated incident six months after their run-in with Rose. Still, it wasn’t as if he had anything better to do today. He released Duradulon from its Pokeball, his partner Pokemon strolling along with him to keep an eye out for anything odd. The pair also kept an eye out for Dynamaxed Pokemon, residual effects of Oleana’s gathering of Wishing Stars and Dynamaxing Pokemon around Galar. Since the other Gym Leaders were tackling the area between Wedgehurst and Motosoke, Raihan focused his efforts on Hammerlocke hills, Lake of Outrage and the Dusty Bowl, which typically housed the more dangerous Pokemon than the other, larger areas. 

Oddly enough, there wasn’t a single trainer in sight as Raihan roamed the area today, not even the brothers who made their living by trading wares around the Wild Area, which struck Raihan as odd. He’d seen those brothers even in the worst of Thunderstorms. Even wild Pokemon were scarce as he walked down the steps and reached the Hammerlocke Hills area and noticed yet another sandstorm in the Dusty Bowl. He broke into a light jog, looking around the area as he did. As empty as the area was, there didn’t appear to be any immediate danger. Despite what Raihan saw, though, his Duradulon stood at a protective, defensive stance. Even his partner Pokemon could sense that something was wrong. 

“What’s wrong, Big Guy?” he asked his steely dragon-type, stopping to gently stroke its head. Its body didn’t relax at the touch. Instead, a low growl resonated in its throat. Whatever the danger was, it was gaining on the two of them. Raihan spun around, searching for the threat that was invisible to him. 

A loud, low growl coming from neither of the two sounded throughout the area and Raihan froze, turning his body towards the sound. The sandstorm had cleared slightly to reveal a massive Dynamaxed Sanaconda, stomping in the empty basin below. Where its eyes usually shone a brilliant green, they now shone a harsh, hate-filled red as it glared at the two. Raihan remembered Light’s warning about the mind-controlled Pokemon being stronger than the average and decided to release all of his Pokemon. There was no way Duradulon could fight this beast alone, even after he Gigantmaxed it, which he of course did. His other Pokemon followed its lead, hurling their attacks at the giant cobra, which only flinched slightly at their assault. Light hadn’t been kidding when she said the mind-controlled Pokemon felt stronger and angrier. He swore as the Sanaconda lashed out, knocking over several of his Pokemon, who were already starting to look a little worn down. 

Despite the fact that there was clearly something wrong with this Pokemon, Raihan hadn’t noticed anyone else in the area. Of course, he noted, there was an entire sandstorm blocking his view, similarly to the obstruction of Light and Leon getting a shot at whoever was doing this in the tangle. He needed another pair of eyes to look for anything suspicious, but beyond that, as much as he didn’t like to admit it, he needed the help of another trainer. He was suddenly thankful that Gordie had decided to crash at a spare room in his castle, and called the man to come assist him. 

“Good Arceus, Raihan,” he rock-type trainer said as he arrived. “What the hell is wrong with that thing? Why’s its eyes all red?” 

“That’s the million-dollar question,” Raihan grumbled, flipping his goggles down over his eyes. “You stay here and keep an eye on the Pokemon, I’m going to see if I can find whatever asshole is responsible for this shit.” Gordie nodded, and the dragon-type trainer took off straight into the storm without difficulty. Surprisingly, the sandstorm being caused by the Dynamaxed Pokemon wasn’t even close to the worst he’d seen- nothing compared to the sandstorm the day Light had fallen in the desert. He could see much more clearly today that there were no Pokemon besides the Sanaconda in the desert area. Even the other wild Pokemon feared the others under mind control, it seemed, which would explain the vacancy of other Pokemon in the Wild Area. It wouldn’t, however, explain the vacancy of trainers. Had they all left in fear of the Pokemon? If that was the case, why hadn’t Raihan been notified of something dangerous in the Wild Area earlier, as the trainer that had both officially and unofficially been assigned to tackling dangers that threatened the area. 

He’d just caught a glimpse of a retreating figure with blonde hair when he heard Gordie yell for him. “Damn it,” he growled, torn between chasing the figure and seeing what was wrong up top. The immediate well-being of his Pokemon and Gordie’s won out as he raced back to the top of the hill. The Sanaconda was looking slightly more worn down now, but nowhere near the level of worn-down that their Pokemon were. They were going to need help, and fast. 

Luckily for them, two figures ran towards them from the direction of Lake of Outrage- the way opposite from where Raihan had come from. As they approached Raihan could see that the figures were Nessa and the woman from the night before, Arie. “Sorry we’re late!” Nessa called, releasing her Pokemon, which would be lethal to the rock-type Pokemon. Raihan had probably never been so relieved to see the water-type Gym Leader in his life. “We were making sure all of the people who’d been here before were safe over at the Lake of Outrage. At Dreadnaw shipped them all over so that at the very least this big guy couldn’t get across to them. This is Arie,” she continued, gesturing to the dark-haired woman. “She was exploring the area when it happened. Luckily Dreadnaw and I had decided to go for a training picnic today. We don’t know what set it off though, any ideas?”

He shook his head. Just about everyone and their mother wanted to know the answer, including him. “Light called and mentioned something about something similar happening in the Glimwood Tangle, and that it was exactly like when Rose had used some device to control Leon’s Mr. Rime. We thought we’d smashed the only device we’d ever seen but looks like it’s happening again. I saw some guy with blond hair running away just before Gordie called. Wasn’t able to get a good look at him or anything. I think he had some long, white coat on.”

Gordie and Nessa frowned, having not come in contact with anyone who fit that description. Arie’s face was unreadable, neutral as the trainers worked to finish off the Sanaconda, who was powerless against Nessa’s watery assault. Raihan wondered silently what Pokemon Arie was carrying with her, and why she’d decided against releasing them now. Though, to be fair, the large cobra had been fairly worn down even before Nessa arrived, and it was clear a fourth person’s team wasn’t needed. The dark-haired woman looked around, clearly looking for a route to escape back to-where was it she said she’d been staying?- the Isle of Armor. “Go on, we’ve got this,” he assured her. Without a second thought, the woman was gone, already likely calling her taxi back to her Island, regretting having even come into the mainland. He never had asked why she’d been in the area; she’d left before he’d ever had the chance. By her lack of attachment to another person now and eagerness to vacate, he guessed it wasn’t the female she’d been with last night. 

When the Sanaconda had crashed down off of its Gigamangix, Raihan ran down to the basin to inspect the Pokemon. Its eyes were now its usual shade of green, looking sadly at him as it writhed in pain. Poor guy, he thought. If someone was using a device to control them, none of this had been the Pokemon’s fault. From the look on its face now, it was clearly sorry about the prior events, having no idea what had come over it. The dragon trainer scooped the little guy up in his arms. “Come on little dude, let’s get you and the rest of our friends to the Hammerlocke Pokemon Center.” He wasn’t worried about the cobra going wild again. If there were repeat occurrences of the Pokemon going ballistic, Raihan would have heard it from Light and Leon months ago. Since it had been over six months since the initial mind control, it was safe to say there wouldn’t be a residual effect that could hard the people of Hammerlocke. 

Nessa held out her arms to hold the Pokemon once he’d reached them, but Raihan didn’t want to give up the new friend. He wanted to be sure this Pokemon was taken care of properly, its wounds healed until it was ready to be released into the Wild Area, or stay with some trainer, whichever it picked. 

It was Gordie’s turn to reach for the Pokemon. “Rai, my gym is covered in stuff that make up this little guy’s natural habitat. It’ll be safe and comfortable with me. If it bugs you that much, you can even come visit it if you need to.”

Raihan scoffed, but handed the Pokemon over to Gordie. The trainer who specialized in rock-types was right: it would be the perfect environment for their new friend to regain its strength. The Sanaconda eyed him sadly before turning up to gently lick Gordie’s face, who laughed at the Pokmeon. “See? Little guy just wants some attention,” he said, tickling the cobra under its chin. It shook its body in delight, leaning into the soft touch. For a rock-type trainer with a cool exterior, Gordie certainly was babying his new Pokemon now. There was no doubt in Raihan’s mind that it would stay with him at the Circhester Gym, even after it was fully healed. Its behavior now was a stark contrast to the hate-filled glare they’d seen only minutes ago. 

“Do you think it hurts them?” Nessa asked, seeming to wonder the same thing as he had. “I mean it looks a little tired, but so is every Dynamax Pokemon after its defeated. Doesn’t seem like there’s anything else wrong with it physically.”

Physically was the key word. It was easy to see physical altercations on a Pokemon, to see its exhausting. Understanding the feelings and minds of a Pokemon was an entirely different story. Raihan wondered how Leon’s Mr. Rime had felt after the mind control device had been used on it. The former champion had yet to use the Pokmeon in a Galarian Stars Tournament to his knowledge since he’d been back. Not that Raihan could blame him, he’d probably be scared shitless to use a Pokemon that had turned on him too. “I’m not sure,” he answered her honestly, trying to find any behaviors that suggested the Pokemon was in distress, other than being exceptionally sweet to the three trainers- almost as an apology. 

The three trainers split ways then: Nessa to get her Dreadnaw’s help in ushering people across the lake, Gordie towards Circhester, and Raihan back to his castle. Without thinking, he dialed his best friend’s phone.

“Mmf- hello?” Leon’s voice answered, sounding groggy. It was 11 am. 

“You still asleep man?” Raihan asked, surprised by the man who was always up at the crack of dawn to get started with his day, a quirk that had annoyed him to no doubt. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” he replied. Had he and Light been up all-night tearing away at each other, he wondered, or had the former champ been a little restless after the events of the mind-controlled Pokemon? Since the first explanation made him want to jump off the top of the wall that surrounded Hammerlocke, he decided on the second one. 

“Hey so we had another one of those mind-controlled Pokemon. Dynamaxed this time. I was able to get it, but only with the help of Gordie and Nessa. Light wasn’t kidding around when she said they were strong. We need to warn the other Gym Leaders, and stick together. I managed to see some blonde-headed freak running away when I ran into the desert, but whoever this guy is, he wants to stay hidden and will take measures to do so. We should get everyone together to explain what’s going on and to partner up.”

“Light and I are being sent on a mission to get some max mushrooms from the Isle of Armor today. Professor Magnolia was going on about something related to Gigamantix energy possibly being the secret to avoiding the mind control. It’s the only place in all of Galar that they grow. At least Light knows all the good spots to find them, so it shouldn’t be too bad. At this rate, though, I’m going to be too tired to fly back, so we’ll need to meet tomorrow night.”

Raihan grinned to himself. Arie had just left this mess and was about to find herself at the hands of the two champions of Galar. He wondered, though, if Light had already met the women. She had stayed on the Isle extensively, though she’d never mentioned a spunk bisexual loner. Then again, Light hadn’t mentioned most of her stay to Raihan, since he hadn’t been the one she’d chosen in the end. “Sure thing, Lee,” he said, half lost in his own thought. A few moments of awkward silence passed before Raihan broke the tension. “You doing okay man?” he asked his best friend in a serious tone.

On the other end of the line, he heard his best friend sign. “Hey Rai, I’ve gotta run and help Light get ready for our flight over. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he said, and hung up before Raihan could press for any more details. He sighed, wishing he had the faintest of ideas on how to help Leon through the thoughts tormenting him. 


	4. Maximally Potent Mushrooms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added a little smut to the end of this chapter because I was feeling self-indulgent and nostalgic that the two ended up here.

After returning home from their run-in with the Morgem, Leon had woken up from a series of nightmares surrounding the red, glowing eyes. The idea that his Charizard, or any of Light’s Pokemon could turn on them at any moment, just as Mr. Rime had done plagued his dreams. Most of all, he dreamt of what would happen to her, to all of Galar if he couldn’t stop their Pokemon from being taken from them. Or even, worse, controlling psychic Pokemon into hypnotizing the people of Galar into one large army, or turning strong Pokemon against their trainers and using them to hurt the region and people he cared about. 

Light, as usual, had been there to support him, to cradle him every time he woke up screaming and grasping for her to make sure she was still safe in his arms. She was every bit as sleep-deprived at this point as he was, yet she continued about their day with her usual sweet disposition. “I’m sorry that my nightmares have been affecting you so much, too,” he said sheepishly as they rode together on his Charizard, the hour well past 2 pm before they’d been able to set out.

She turned back to him, placing a kiss on his cheek. “It’s okay Lee, really. What you went through…” she nuzzled his neck softly with her nose as she spoke. “I can’t even begin to imagine the trauma…I wish I’d gotten there sooner.”

Leon tightened his grip on her waist. “Without you, we’d all be dead. Don’t you ever forget that. Once this is all over, you and me will take a little vacation, just the two of us.” He smiled at his idea. In truth, being away from Wyndon and riding on Charizard was already working to help his mental state of being, the fresh, cool air washing over his face and hair as he held Light close to his body. She was clearly enjoying herself too, her rose-gold hair waving gently behind her head as . The former champion couldn’t resist kissing her now-exposed neck, using his hand that wasn’t gripping Charizard to cup her neck in his hand. Not choking, just gently resting his hand in the spot as he applied the pressure with his lips, occasionally nicking her skin gently with his canines, knowing how much she loved the attention to the area. She sighed softly, her body melting back into his. She could feel his hardness pressing against her rear as he continued his relentless assault on her neck. 

Charizard huffed at the two of them, acting annoyed at the PDA between the two trainers. “Are you a little jealous, Big Guy?” Leon teased his partner, moving his hands a little more appropriately back to Light’s waist and straightening himself up. That was fine, he could wait until later. The Pokemon huffed again, slightly more satisfied this time and both trainers laughed aloud. “He’s going to send you flying one of these days,” she warned him, still giggling, though she was glad to see Leon’s smile return again. 

Light had a plan for collecting the mushrooms as quickly as they could. Partially because they wanted to return to a comfortable bed after a long, tiring day and also in part because they wanted as much time alone together as they could possibly get away from their troubles. This would also be the first night the two of them shared back in the guest bedroom they’d initially confessed their feelings for each other…among other things. She was going to have Leon search the Warm-up Tunnel for mushrooms while she checked the other caverns and then they would walk through the Forest of Focus together. The Warm-Up Tunnel was small enough, with only one turn that ended in a dead-end, so she assumed he’d be able to manage not getting lost while he waited for her to come get him. “Stay here when you’re done,” she said to him sternly before running to check the Courageous Cavern and Brawler’s cave. 

Leon pouted at her. Surely, he could have found his way to at least the second cavern she was going to check. Either way, he grinned after her as she ran, searching his own little cave. On the other side was a desert, one he’d been instructed to stay out of, which led him to a small outlet in the cave that led to a dead-end. The main hallway of the cave, as well as the little pocket corner had held several clusters of the mushrooms, which he shoved into his bag. That had gone quicker than expected. 

Knowing Light would be a little longer, he decided to have a seat at the entrance of the cave, looking over the Training Lowlands as he chatted with Charizard. He watched as the Taurus and Bouffalants chased each other, horns forward, throughout the grassy plain as the other Pokemon surrounding dashed out of their way. Even though he’d been here with Light several times recently to help in rebuilding the Tower, he hadn’t had the chance to just enjoy the landscape, like he used to do when he was younger and trained here himself. Leon had never actually finished all of Mustard’s trials and trained a Kubfu the way she had, but it hadn’t mattered all that much to him at the time. He’d had Charizard, Dragapult and Aegislash to keep him preoccupied and strong. Maybe once things settled down again, he could take some time to train himself here with Mustard yet again. The thought made him smile: donning the dojo outfit again and getting lost on the island while Light focused on her own routine of exercise and battles against Klara and Mustard. It was exactly the type of vacation the two of them truly would enjoy; neither of them were truly complete without some type of training regimen involved. 

“What do you think, Charizard? Would you like to come back here and finish what we started a long time ago? Maybe we could even be the first students to train at the newly rebuilt Tower of Darkness.”

His partner Pokemon roared with delight, flapping its wings excitedly. The boyish excitement both of them had at a challenge was what made Charizard a perfect partner Pokemon for him. Leon was glad that his partner had never lost that equally goofy sense of excitement in its evolutions. As the sound reverberated through the lowlands, a few Pokemon heads turned to stare at the commotion. A set of red eyes from far away locked onto Leon’s and he sprang to his feet. Could there really be another Pokemon under the mind control here? He ran after the Pokemon he hadn’t been able to identify from far away. The Pokemon began to flee in the direction opposite from him. The Pokemon, from what he could tell, wasn’t incredibly large and had a green or blue tint, which was harder to discern in the bright sunlight, which reflected off of every surface and rock in the area. 

Leon continued sprinting after the Pokemon until they reached a wooded area. This, he recognized, was the Forest of Focus, the forest he’d gotten lost in countless times and that Light had warned him they would be exploring together. Still, he needed to find the Pokemon to make sure it wasn’t on mind control- or about to go find Light and attack her. He was finally close enough to see the Pokemon from behind. The Pokemon had webbed hands and feet, with blue spikes running down its back. From the side, Leon could occasionally glimpse a pale yellow beak. A Golduck, he realized. 

The Pokemon- and he- ran straight into a tall, slender figure. The woman wrapped an arm around the Golduck, which looked back at him tauntingly. It was only then he realized he hadn’t seen a pair of red eyes; he’d caught the reflection of the Pokemon’s red jewel in the middle of its forehead. He’d left the cave that Light had specifically told him to stay at for nothing. The wild Golduck scampered away, leaving him sheepish as he turned to the woman who’d stopped them. “What’ve you got against Golduck?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at the former champion curiously. Leon recognized her shorts as belonging to the dojo, though she didn’t don the top that students typically wore. Her hair was cut into a blunt, black bob and her lavender eyes looked at him with curiosity and suspicion- and maybe a little annoyance at disturbing her routine, he noticed.

“I thought I saw…nevermind,” Leon chuckled sheepishly, running a hand through his purple hair as he shook his head. How absolutely insane would it sound to tell a stranger he’d been chasing off a Pokemon he thought had unnatural red eyes and was about to wreak havoc on the entire island? There hadn’t even been a case of the mind control on the Island yet. It was then he noticed the woman had an Absol trailing along behind her. Its features, which were normally a navy blue, were instead a pale red. It was a stunning creature. “Hey, little guy,” he said, crouching down to give the dark-type a better look at him, appearing at eye level. The Pokemon growled slightly at his movement but inched forward cautiously as its green eyes bored into his. The shade reminded him almost of Light’s eyes and he smiled. She would love this little guy. The Absol finally inched itself in front of Leon, putting its head in his hands, as if asking for him to stroke it. The former champion obliged, patting its soft fur gently. 

“Hmm,” its trainer mused, watching the scene. “That’s odd…Absol doesn’t usually let strangers touch him.”

Leon nodded. Though he’d never trained on himself, he’d always had a fascination with the dark-type breed. They preferred their own company above most humans and other Pokemon. They were truly good judges of characters, only latching onto humans they found worthy. He’d never had the fortune of encountering one on his journey in person until now. It made him smile to know that, at least this one, found him worthy of its momentary attention. 

“So, whatcha’ doing in the Forest of Focus chasing a Golduck for?” she asked, now more curious about his actions than annoyed now.

“I thought I saw a pair of red eyes,” he admitted, deciding this woman could be trusted to some degree. “We’ve…sort of been seeing some problems with Pokemon in the mainland, so Light- my girlfriend-” he added hastily, “and I came here to search for some max mushrooms for some research into the phenomenon. I thought the Golduck had been like we’d seen before, so I chased after it and now I’m a little lost.”

The woman frowned. “Where from? Maybe I can help you get back?”

“Uhhh, the Warm-Up Tunnel.”

“That’s…not far from here. Like, at all. How the hell did you get lost?” She said, giving him a look as if to ask if he was dense. 

He grinned sheepishly. “I’m, as my brother likes to so lovingly put it, pants with directions. I was supposed to stay there and wait for Light to get back from the other caves but…”

“Le-on!” They heard a voice call from behind. Light was jogging towards them, an exasperated look on her face. The woman started in shock at his name, as if just realizing for the first time who she’d been talking to. 

“Oh,” she muttered, her turn to be sheepish. “You’re the Leon and Light that everyone’s talking about. I think I get why you were so lost now. I’m Arie.”

Light looked over the taller woman, noting her apparel. “You train at the dojo? I’ve spent a lot of time there recently. I don’t remember seeing you.”

Arie laughed. “I don’t exactly spend much time there. I prefer to stay out in the wild, fending for myself and my partner here. We stop by every once and awhile, maybe once a week. Guess you could say we’re loners.”

Her Pokemon popped its head up again at the sight of the new trainer. The unique Absol didn’t hesitate this time, bounding up to Light immediately. Leon shifted to protect her in case the Pokemon decided to attack, but relaxed when he saw it jump excitedly at his girlfriend, nipping gently at her rose-gold hair as she tried to pat the creature around its excited leaps. Her green eyes lit up as the Pokemon interacted with her, bonding with her instantly. Light noted the color difference in the Pokemon, different than what an Absol would typically appear as, and smiled. Her Dragapult, which was typically red in the face, was the same way with its unique yellow markings. After her discussion with Sonia, she’d learned that sometimes Pokmeon just have unique genetic mutations that affect their physical appearance. The change wasn’t anything more than cosmetic; the Pokemon with different colors were neither stronger nor weaker than their typical peers. Leon smiled as he watched the scene. Of course the Absol would see something special in her, who hadn’t? Maybe on their next trip to the Tundra, he’d sneak away to catch one for her.

“Tell me more about these red eyed Pokemon,” Arie said once her Pokemon had calmed down enough to just sit at Light’s feet. 

“We think they’re controlled by some device from another region,” Light explained. “We’ve seen a couple of them back in the mainland a few times: one Morgem and a wild Dynamaxed Sanaconda.” She left out the mention of the incident six months ago, for Leon’s sake. “They seem to be really angry, and intent on attacking humans rather than other Pokemon. And are stronger than normal too. We’re not sure who-or what- is causing these to happen. Raihan said he’d seen some blonde man running away after the Dynamaxed one was defeated, but that’s really all we have. Our professor said that Gigantamaxing might be linked to a solution, so we’re trying to find as many as we can before our research.”

“Hence the caves,” Arie said in understanding. Her expression was unreadable to Leon and Light as the other woman thought for a few moments in silence. “Colress…” she said quietly, as if concluding a thought.

“Please, if you know something, come with us tomorrow. We’re going to talk to our professor, who’s currently trying to contact some people from Unova,” Light begged. She wasn’t sure who this woman was, but what she did know was that this trainer was strong, and special in some way. For a second, she realized this was what Leon had felt when he recognized Hop and Light’s potential for greatness and endorsed them for their Gym Challenge. 

Regret flashed through the woman’s eyes, and Leon could tell she wished she hadn’t said anything at all. “Look, I know it’s not exactly ideal,” he said, finally speaking up. “But a lot of lives could be at stake here, especially since we know Dynamaxed Pokemon can be controlled. You’d really be helping us out a ton.”

Hesitantly, she nodded. “Fine, but I’ll meet you both at the dojo in the morning. I wanna get at least one more night of sleeping outdoors in before I’ve got to coop Absol up for Arceus knows how long.” Arie scrunched her nose, the idea of sleeping indoors clearly somewhat distasteful to her. Light couldn’t blame the girl; she’d spent almost every waking moment outside any time she was here, training under the hot sun and the cool breeze of the evening. She liked this Arie already. 

The taller woman left them, and Leon and Light continued their search for mushrooms. “You never did tell me how you ended up lost,” she teased Leon in a scolding voice once Arie was out of view. 

Leon pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Hey, that’s not fair, you didn’t give me the chance to get back to the cave before you found me!”

Light raised an eyebrow. “The cave you were supposed to stay in until I got back?”

He ran a hand through his hair, defeated as he grinned at her sheepishly. “Okay, okay- you win, I got lost,” he admitted. “I thought I saw a pair of red eyes so I ran after it, which led me all the way here to the forest. Turns out it was just a Golduck with its little gem on the top of its forehead. It was pretty far away when I first saw it.”

She stopped and stroked the side of his face, turning his amber eyes to meet hers, worried about the purple-haired male. “I’m okay,” he promised her, turning his face in to kiss the palm of her hand. He really was okay, at least for now. “Anyway,” he continued with a grin on his face. “The Golduck ran into the forest, which is when we met Arie. Poor Pokemon was pissed that I’d chased it for no good reason. Almost wish I could find the little guy and apologize to it. Speaking of Arie, how cool was her Absol?”

Light’s face lit up, and Leon knew he’s picked a topic that made her excited. “Oh, I adore him!” She exclaimed. “I only ever got to see one while I was in the Tundra.” Her voice turned a little wistful now. “I’d slipped down the mountain a bit when I was chasing after Glastrier to go stop it from rampaging through Freezington. Probably would have fallen all the way to the bottom if the Absol I met hadn’t stopped me from falling.” Naturally, Leon thought, and was reminded yet again of her danger-attracting tendencies, and then of her tendency to connect with almost any Pokemon she encountered. “But I didn’t have time to stay with it or catch it. I haven’t been back up the mountain- well, except for… well, you remember”

Leon remembered quite vividly. Oleana had kidnapped Light, bringing her all the way up the snowy mountain and to Calyrex’s castle, where they forced the Pokemon to Dynamax and had almost killed Light and itself in the process. It was the day he’d almost lost her, realized he loved her, watched her profess her love to his best friend, and then ended up spending the night getting obscenely drunk with her after Raihan had messed up, not opening up to her after they’d slept together for the first time. Yeah, he remembered it well as both one of the best and worst nights of his life. “I still can’t believe Calyrex kept possessing Peony. I think that’s my favorite part of the story you told me about your time here,” he said, changing the subject only slightly. Light had her own traumas, and the consequential release of one of her partner Pokemon after the events of that day was one of them. 

That earned a laugh from her. “He’d snap out of it and swear he was sleeping on the job. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he’d been right there in all of the action, just not conscious for it.” Besides, she thought, no one needs to know they’ve been possessed by a Pokemon, but thought better of the quip, with everything Leon dealt with after having been possessed by his own Pokemon. “The man is certainly smarter than he acts though,” she admitted. “Coming up with those quests based on the history he’d read? Pure genius. I do feel a little bad that I got to experience everything while he waited for Peonia back at the camp.”

The former champion chuckled softly. “You definitely did him a favor. From what I remember of Peony, he’s the type who’d prefer to hear about history and read about it, rather than live it himself. Probably because he’s so caught up in anything ever happening to his family or himself, which would ultimately hurt his family. Besides, you’re pretty smart yourself, figuring out his little riddles.” Leon gave her nose a small tap as he smiled at him. He never grew tired of hearing her stories, and he was glad that, for some reason, she never seemed to tire of his, although he was positive he must have told them all at least twice to her. Whether he repeated himself or not, she always smiled widely at him as he recounted his (mostly embarrassing) stories. 

By the end of their walk through the forest, the pair had collected over thirty mushrooms. “That ought to be enough,” Light said, recounting how many needed to be used in the soup they made at the dojo. It was at least three to bring out the full potency of the mushrooms to give Pokemon the power to Gigantamax, although it made a full kettle of the soup. The professor probably wasn’t planning to use the mushrooms to teach Pokemon to Gigantamax, but the amount would most likely suffice. It would have to; these were all of the mushrooms that had sprouted that day. 

“Light! Leon! What a wonderful surprise!” Honey called in a greeting as the two walked through the front door. Light cast a look at Mustard, who she’d called on their way to the island, who shrugged with a grin. Clearly the dojo master had decided to leave their visit as a surprise to his wife. Or he had forgotten but given how much the fighting-type master loved the two trainers, Light thought it was unlikely that he’d forget. 

Honey wrapped them both in a hug. “Would the two of you like some dinner? We’re just about to sit down and eat.”

Leon grinned, thinking back to the last time they’d been offered dinner as they stayed overnight on the island. Both had refused and went straight to the guest bedroom, where things eventually got heated. The two of them had been too upset to eat any of her delicious food the previous time they’d visited. Today, Leon was almost too hungry for something else that he almost refused this time around. Almost. “We’d love some, Honey!” He squeezed Light’s hand, hoping the gesture would signal that he certainly hadn’t forgotten the last time they’d stayed the night here. Her knowing grin smiling back at him told him it was on her mind as well. 

Klara excitedly bounded over to sit next to them during the meal. The poison-type trainer put up a strong front, acting as if she hated Light for her strong rivalry. In reality, at least from what Leon could see, the girl with bubble-gum colored hair had a deep admiration and respect for her rival that she didn’t show publicly. “I hear you’ve been out hunting for mushrooms all day,” she said as they sat down. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to get even stronger without me.”

Light laughed. “If only. We’re collecting them for…research,” she decided on. It would be important to let the dojo know what was happening mainland, in the event it started occurring here. She cleared her throat, subtly calling everyone’s attention. “Back in Galar, we’re having a bit of trouble with Pokemon that appear to be under some sort of mind control device. When they’re under the control of the device, they seem to be stronger, angrier and attack humans primarily. We’ve seen Dynamaxed Pokemon come under this control too. It’s mostly happening in the mainland right now but be on the lookout for anything- or anyone suspicious.”

Mustard nodded her way in understanding. “Sounds like a real good time for you lot to train up!” he exclaimed to his students in an effort to both assuage their fears and motivate them to work harder. Leave it to Mustard to turn every opportunity into one that involves training. 

“I’ll melt them down to size!” Klara chimed in with her signature phrase. 

“Sounds like you all will have a-“ Leon started.

“Don’t say it, don’t you dare say it!” Light warned, giggling at the line she knew was about to come.

“Real champion time!” The rest of the room finished for him, erupting into a chorus of laughter. Light playfully swatted Leon’s chest, leaning in for a brief kiss as she teased him. She loved the cheesy things about him, like his signature pose and catchphrase, especially when he directed them towards her, which usually made them extra cheesy. Underneath the table as she pulled away, Leon rested his hand on her thigh, dangerously close to her hips. She tensed, meeting his amber eyes which were suddenly filled with heat. Light blushed, trying to focus on finishing the rest of her dinner that had been ignored during her speech and trying not to focus on the way his hand moved against her legs.

Honey, who thankfully couldn’t see the positioning of Leon’s hand, eyed them happily. When Light had stayed on the island to make her choice between Raihan and Leon, the dojo master’s wife had made her feelings abundantly clear, though she’d urged the rosy-haired girl to follow her heart. Honey had always loved Leon like a son, with plenty of cute and embarrassing stories in tow. He’d been kind to her during her stays, running many errands for her- even if he got lost for half of the day trying to run them- and had been one of Mustard’s brightest students. It was clear she enjoyed seeing Leon as happy as he was now, almost the same way a mother would to her son. Light understood the bond, thinking of the two owners of the dojo as a second set of parents herself, though she’d come to train here at a later point in her life than Leon had. 

She dropped her fork on her plate with a loud clank as Leon’s hand drifted almost right to her most sensitive areas. The action usually would have been slightly innocent and had fairly little effect on her if it weren’t for the charged energy this place had for the two of them. He knew this, and was testing the waters ever so slightly.

It was all Leon could do to stifle his laugh with a cough as Klara asked: “You doing okay there, Light?”

His girlfriend glared her bright green eyes at him so quickly he almost missed it before turning sweetly to the poison-type trainer. “I’m okay,” she said, her face turning a bright shade of red. “I forgot how good Honey’s cooking is. Take-out in Wyndon just isn’t nearly as good.” It was only a partial-lie, she thought. Honey’s cooking was better than almost anything she could have ordered in Wyndon, or any of the restaurants in Galar- apart from maybe the fish tacos she’d had on her first date with Raihan. Even then, it was a close match. 

Honey smiled at them. “You’re too kind,” she said weakly, but the woman had fielded enough compliments to know that any praise of her food tonight wasn’t exactly unwarranted. “Who’s ready for dessert?”

“I know I am,” Leon said, his eyes not leaving Light’s as he left his hand firmly on her thigh as he grinned. Thankfully, no one in the room but Light, who wanted to playfully smack him across the chest and tell him to behave himself, noticed the ulterior meaning behind his words. They were all too focused on the array of miniature cheesecakes that had been whipped up. Choruses of appraisal flooded the room. 

When the two trainers finally reached the guest bedroom, Leon locked the door behind them.

“Le-on!” Light scolded.

She couldn’t get another word in before he’d pinned her to the wall, picking her up with surprising ease and wrapping her legs around his waist. It was the perfect angle for him to press himself into her, she realized as his mouth came crashing down on hers wildly.

“I love the way you say my full name only when I’m in trouble,” he growled, the sound vibrating against her lips as he spoke. She wrapped her fingers in his hair in response, tugging gently, relishing the way his moan felt against her, feeling more than hearing the low, primal sound. He loved the way her hands felt when they pulled at his purple mane. It was as if it was an on—switch, making his entire body come alive in sensitivity and desire. He stroked the underside of her thighs, an area he’d found particularly sensitive. The flush on her face was absolutely beautiful to him, matching the rosy shade of her hair as she sighed, squirming under the feeling of his touch. They’d managed to find the areas that felt the best on each other within that first night, and had done much more exploring in the past six months. Everything she did made him crazy, as if he still couldn’t believe she was his to hold like this. And in all reality, he still couldn’t get over how lucky he was any time she kissed him or touched him. Or that, he thought as she bit his lower lip gently.

Leon shifted away from the wall, carrying her towards the bed and assumed the same position horizontally, her legs still wrapped around his waist. Her legs were so strong from how much time she spent riding her Corviknight, his Charizard, and maybe even a little from the way she wrapped herself around him over the past six months. He’d never get over just how well they brought him to her, closer every time he was against her. Light moaned softly as he brushed against her now in the impact of falling to the bed, still gently tracing the underside of her thighs, so warm and soft under his touch. Arceus, he’d never tire of hearing that. He gently removed her shirt, marveling at the flush of pink that washed over her skin in desire. It was just as beautiful to him now as it had been the first time she’d exposed herself for him, as just as beautiful as he expected she’d be to him many years in the future. Leon traced the scars on her body, starting with the beaded pattern from the Salazzle’s poison that had contacted her skin in the Crown Tundra, up the small, circular scars on her stomach from her fall in the Dusty Bowl, the scrapes along her arm from all of the above and more. The markings told the story of Galar’s warrior, protector that she was. Leon had always hated Raihan’s pet name for her: Princess. It was positively the most unfitting name he’d heard anyone call her. She was far from it, always rushing in to be the one doing the saving, rather than being saved. Apart from the one time. Maybe two. He’d never love the pain she had to endure to get them, but he loved her scars and the brave hero that she was.

He moved his touch back down again, peeling the jeans from her body, and then her underwear, wanting to give her body the proper attention and treatment that it deserved. His kisses trailed from her belly button, down past her lower stomach, down the length of one thigh and up the other until he buried his face at her center. Light moaned softly again as his tongue moved slowly along her folds, her hands twisting softly in his hair, careful not to tug too hard. She loved the feel of his silky soft mane, always effortlessly perfect, even when she was hell-bent on mussing it. Although this certainly wasn’t a first, the pair were usually too intent on tearing each other’s clothes off and connecting at their hips to enjoy this type of treatment. Tonight Leon had clearly decided to take a different approach, one she certainly wasn’t complaining about. 

“Oh Lee,” she purred softly, her back arching slightly to give him a better feel as she moved to run her hands through her own hair, which had fallen back on the bed and spread out wildly around her. He used one hand to wrap around her thigh, using it as leverage to bring himself closer while the other rested, pressing down gently on her lower stomach, just above her groin. The touch made everything feel more intense, and she could feel the heat pooling in her groin. Leon occasionally slipped his tongue inside her, a tease of what was to come. It made her wild, wriggling with anticipation. He grinned, bewildered that it was him who made her feel this good. Her body began to tremble, and he could tell she was close. He removed the hand that held her thigh and used it to move one finger in and out of her, stroking the area he planned to be very soon as she climaxed intensely around him, panting his name as the pleasure rushed through her. 

Once she caught her breath, Leon pulled her on top of him, helping her take in his full length inside of her, groaning out himself as she did. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he breathed, taking in the sight of her post-orgasmic glow, paired with the faint perspiration and flush of her skin. “I love you,” he whispered, every word like a prayer as he worshipped her body, which moved slowly in time with his hips. His hands gently held her hips, her green eyes locked with his amber ones as she reached down to trace the outline of his muscles with her soft finger times. Leon shuddered against her touch, his breath hitching at every sensation. No matter how much he got of her, his hunger and passion for her could never be sated.

Light felt the same way, eager to explore every inch of his body while she rocked against him. His length felt so long inside of her this way, almost painful in its pleasure each time her hips pressed down into his. “I love you Lee,” she said, smiling down at him.

He grabbed her suddenly, pinning to the bed beneath him and easing himself back into her gently as she lay back on the bed. It was easier for her to reach his neck with her lips, sucking gently. Light smiled, remembering the last time she’d done this with him. They’d been so careful to make sure she didn’t leave marks in visible places to create unnecessary questions. Now, with the entire world knowing they were together, it didn’t matter if she left a tiny mark, right where everyone could see. Goodness knows he’d done it to her, though he preferred to leave his marks along her inner thighs and hips. Leon moaned as her lips made contact with his skin, biting down gently and sucking on the area. His hips began to move faster as she did this, her former champion beginning to lose some of his restraint. She moaned as he filled her, the sound vibrating against his throat, and she grabbed his hair, pulling his neck even closer to her. 

The movement was his undoing, calling out her name as he spilled over the edge, releasing inside of her. He rubbed his hand along her clit, making sure as always that she finished after him, though it didn’t take much effort on his part tonight.

“What is it about this room for us?” she mused playfully, sighing and leaning back against his chest. 

Leon grinned. Sex with Light was amazing no matter where they were, but there was just something about the room they’d said their first ‘I love yous’ in, had their first kiss, made love for the first time in, that seemed to intensify every emotion running between them. He marveled at the sight of her as she got up to the restroom to clear herself off. The former champion could see that her rose-gold hair was matter just slightly in the back from their lovemaking. 

He was holding the hairbrush in hand as she returned, gesturing for her to sit with her back to him on the bed. Light melted into the gentle brushing of her hair. It had been ages since another person had brushed her hair completely, not since her mom had stopped brushing it at the age of six. She winced slightly when Leon reached the tangles in the back of her hair, having not realized how matter it had gotten in the course of the night. Having long hair himself, the purple-haired male handled the area delicately, combing it through until the hair was no longer knotted within itself. “Light?” he asked as he worked. “How would you feel, after all of the mind-controlling stuff is solved of course, about coming back here for awhile? Maybe before the Gym Season starts? I’d like to finish the training I started many years ago, if Mustard and Honey will still have me of course. We could do some training together, go for that inspirational run you keep telling me about, watch the sun set over the sea, maybe swim out to the Honeycalm Island for a little lazy afternoon. I could use a little time away from Wyndon.”

She smiled. “Lee, I’d love that. Seriously, this would be the perfect place to train up before the start of Gym Season. With you here, I have some of the finest trainers in the region to help me stay sharp. It’s been so long since we’ve really battled. Besides, my Dragapult is itching to take yours on again.”

Light was right, he realized. It had been almost six months since the day he’d challenged her at the Battle Tower. Even though she won, it was still not a proper battle. She’d used a team of three Pokemon he’d selected carefully to show his affections for her, his Charizard included. He wanted to see how her team had grown yet again, even right from under his nose. “Deal,” he agreed. “As soon as we’ve cleared up this mess, you’ve got yourself a battle. And a vacation.

The pair fell asleep nestled in each other’s arm shortly afterwards. In the comfort of her arms and the ocean air around them, Leon slept free of nightmares that night, peacefully entranced in a dreamless sleep.


	5. Meeting of the Minds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really fun to write guys. I enjoyed getting to write in all the major characters, even for 1-2 lines for some of them. 
> 
> Note, I headcanon the original Saphire and Ruby for the sake of this fanfic, not Omega and Alpha.

Arie was waiting for the pair outside the dojo at sunrise. To her surprise, the pair were just as ready for the day as she was. Behind her sat a Flying Taxi, ready for takeoff. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said sheepishly. “But I’m not much for flying, so I ordered us a taxi.”

The rosy-haired woman grinned. “Works for me!” she said, and then once they’d settled down: “So, where did you meet Absol? They’re not very common around the Galar region, and even then, they make themselves pretty sparce in the Crown Tundra.”

“I met Red just outside of Fortree city in Hoenn. They’re more common in that area. Most folk hate the rain, and the Pokemon there are wicked strong, so it’s a perfect spot.” She didn’t need to tell them about how she met her partner. Absol hated anything that made him look weak anyway. The only person she’d told was her best friend Klara, who’d already left for Galar after dinner the previous night, leaving her to ride with these new companions. Who really weren’t terrible overall, if maybe a little too cheery for her tastes.

“You come from Hoenn?” Leon asked, eyeing her with curiosity. He’d never been anywhere outside of Galar and was fascinated to hear as much about another region as someone would tell him.

Arie nodded and flashed her case containing her ID and badges. Both trainers’ eyes widened at the sight. “Met all of my team there. Though the Zigzagoons you have here are wicked cool. Back home they’re more like a fluffy puppy dog.” She wrinkled her nose as she showed them a Pokedex entry. Light swooned at the cuteness and Leon thoughtfully pondered the regional differences. They were cute, sure, but definitely not for Arie. “Took over for the Champion for a few years, but the gig was a little too stiff for my taste. Wound up in Unova for a hot minute, but that also wasn’t it for me, so I applied to the dojo.”

‘So, do you mainly use fighting types then?” Light asked after some consideration.

The dark-haired woman had to stifle her scoff towards the other woman. She hadn’t been the first to ask. Were all Galarians this simple in their training? The champion had been a student of the dojo, had she not? Yet the rosy-haired girl only appeared to use one fighting type, from what Klara had told her. “Not my style. I’d rather be at a disadvantage when I train, so I can kick more ass when I’m at an advantage,” Arie responded simply. 

They eyed her at her comment. Given her edgy appearance, it was safe to say they wouldn’t be assuming she fought with normal-type Pokemon. She smirked as they assessed her, beginning to understand just a taste of the undercutting edge that ran through her. “Why didn’t you take up the Gym Challenge here?” Leon asked after a moment.

“Been there, done that,” the dark-type trainer replied, a bored tone in her voice. Sure, the Gym Challenge was just about everything to Galarians, but she found the entire lifestyle too boring and stuffy for her taste. Arie would never go back to that lifestyle. The only part that even remotely appealed to her was surviving on her own in the Wild area, and even that wasn’t an option right now. She’d come into the mainland for a little fun a few nights ago, wanting a casual hookup, some drinks, and to explore the Wild Area and her survival skills there. It had been fun for about a day until the crazy-strong Dynamax had appeared. After that, she’d taken an immediate Flying Taxi back to the Isle of Armor, only to be flying back the next day. “Besides, you guys care about your Champion way too much, no offense. I’d probably deck the first reporter that got too close to my face.”

“What are the other Gym Leaders like?” Light asked, clearly a little desperate to change the subject

Hmm, where to begin. “Well, I grew up in Lavaridge, so Flannery is one of my better friends. She was a hot mess as a Gym Leader to start, but she’s pretty well grown into it by now. I trained with Brawley for quite a long time. He was a great trainer, taught me a lot. Definitely the most easily distracted person I’ve ever met, especially when anything involved a pretty girl.” She laughed quietly to herself, recalling the time she’d managed to completely break his concentration just by stretching the wrong way. It was a tactic she exploited plenty of times after the discovery, to his horror. “Roxanne is a huge history nerd- we never really meshed well. Same with Wynona, Norman and the twins. Wynona and Norman take themselves too seriously and the twins drove me fucking nuts every time they finished each other’s sentences. It’s not as cute the hundredth time you hear them do it, trust me. Wattson’s like a chill Grandpa, mostly down to clown but will throw hands if he’s gotta. And Wallace…well he’s a little flamboyant for my taste, but he’s actually pretty cool. Plus, he helped me save Hoenn from those Team Aqua and Magma assholes. We helped calm down Kyogre and Groudon, which were about to turn the whole region upside down. He’s also pretty tight with Steven, the Champion. They’re total opposites, so the how beats me, but it works for them, I guess.” She gave the former Champion and the current Champion a once-over. The purple haired male certainly didn’t have a lack of flair, in his own way, yet his counterpart was far more reserved, suddenly reminding her of the dynamic duo. Still, these two clearly did have a lot in common that kept them strongly together. Maybe there was more in common between the two males back in Hoenn than she’d realized as well. 

“How often is your Championship Cup?” Leon asked her.

Arie realized the former champion must not have been well-informed of the processes outside of Galar. Light as well, she discovered, as the rosy-haired female didn’t go to correct him. “Don’t have one,” she told them. “We have the Elite Four, which are permanent positions separate from Gym Leaders, and our Champion, who can change any time the Champion is beaten, though most people don’t decide to take on the role and let the current champ stay. Trainers can challenge the Elite Four whenever they feel like it- after getting all the badges.”

Leon smiled, clearly impressed by the region’s method of running their championship. “That must make for some pretty cool battles year-round then! I always wanted Galar to have more in the off-season for fans and to keep us all training year-round. What do you say, Light? Maybe we should invite Arie into the Galarian Stars Tournament. Sounds like she’d be a new rival to keep us on our toes!”

It was Light’s turn to grin in agreement. “I’d love to see your Pokemon in action, especially Absol.”

The dark-type trainer laughed. “I can tell you that he’d certainly like to see the look on your face when he crushes you, though I guess I would too.”

All three trainers laughed, though Arie was still convinced that Light, or Leon for that matter would be no match for her, but she looked forward to their eventual match nonetheless. She also wished she’d paid more attention to the two trainers in the media, suddenly realizing she’d be at a disadvantage, with her peers knowing she used exclusively dark and ghost-types, yet she knew nothing of the other two. Other than Leon’s signature Charizard, which everyone knew about whether they lived under a rock or not. She had no clear defense or offense against the fire-type, but he would be in the same position against her Absol, so she wasn’t terribly worried. 

“Tell me about your Gym Leaders, so I know what I’m getting myself into here,” Arie demanded, realizing she knew nothing about anyone other than Klara, who was only a Gym Leader in a minor district. Admittedly, she was slightly curious about the darker-skinned man she’d met at the bar and then again in the Wild Area, Raihan. 

Light and Leon went into a description of the Gym Leaders in Galar, starting from the first leader that a trainer would encounter on their challenge, to the last. When they got to the eighth and final gym leader, the two paused awkwardly, blushing as they looked at each other. It was the former champion who finally spoke when the silence was broken. “Rai-Raihan is my best friend, my rival. He acts tough, but he’s really a good guy.”

“If he’s so great, why are you acting like he kicks Growlithe pups for a living?”

Leon laughed nervously. Clearly nothing was escaping this woman. “You really don’t go on social media at all, do you? He and Light used to date about seven months ago, basically right up until the Tower of Darkness fell.”

Now that was surprising to Arie, but she didn’t say anything. She wondered silently what it was about Galar’s Champion that seemed to attract so much interest. Sure, she was pretty, and those green eyes were incredibly wide, but Arie herself didn’t feel all that attracted to the other woman, apart from a sense of possibly wanting to be friends and rivals. Though, it was possible that was the appeal the current Champion had.

The remainder of the ride to Wedgehurst was silent, with the occasional whisper between Light and Leon to ensure everything had been prepared and everyone had been contacted that would need to meet with them.

When they arrived at the lab, Arie was impressed by the building, both in and outside. There were bookshelves filled with volumes that reached all the way up to the tall ceiling of the building. Various species of plants were potted or in terrariums throughout the interior. Towards the back of the room, an elderly woman that Arie assumed as Professor Magnolia sat facing a screen, talking into it fervently. 

Other Gym Leaders and trainers had arrived too. Arie found Klara chatting with Raihan and Hop, and went to meet her best friend immediately, who wrapped her in a hug. The dark-type trainer hated hugs but made an exception for Klara. Despite living on the same island, the two could sometimes go weeks without seeing each other. Raihan was surprised and pleased to see the trainer who’d intrigued him a few days ago. “Just can’t get enough of me, can you?” he greeted her with a smile.

Arie’s eyes narrowed at the dragon trainer. “I couldn’t get your face out of my head,” she teased. “You know, the one you make where things don’t go your way? I just had to see it again.”

Klara giggled from beside her while Raihan’s face broke out into a grin. He hadn’t met someone who was this good at playful banter since his early relationship with Light. Even then, this woman had a sharp wit that might actually surpass his former lover’s. “Oh sweetheart, you’ve never had my way, you’d never know what you’re missing,” he quipped back.

It was hurt turn to laugh. “And I don’t exactly need to taste Taurus dropping to know they taste like literal shit, but whatever gets you off.” She had to admit: this back and forth was fun. Raihan sat next to her and Klara as Professor Magnolia called everyone to attention.

“Thanks for coming,” the professor said as everyone turned to her. Raihan grinned at Sonia, who’d put out tea and snacks for everyone, in thanks as he grabbed a cup for himself. “I’m sure you’ve all heard, through some form or another, that there’s been some Pokemon popping up with red eyes around the region that are attacking people. I spoke with Professor Juniper from Unova, who confirmed the existence of the devices, and the appearance of the Pokemon under the control to be identical to what we’re facing. The only way to get these Pokemon calm is to stop the device or to exhaust it in battle, similar to Dynamaxed Pokemon here in Galar.”

Everyone’s phone chimed simultaneously, and the professor continued. “These devices were made by a man named Colress, who I’ve sent you all a picture and file on. He created the devices with the speculation of Pokemon’s true power lying in their anger and hatred towards people. Colress’ desire is the bring out the ultimate strength of Pokemon. With the discovery of Dynamax and Gigantamax here in Galar, it seems as though his goal is to unleash the power of GIgantamax and Dynamaxed Pokemon.”

Raihan frowned as he looked at the picture. “This might have been the man I saw running away in the desert,” he said aloud, causing everyone to stare at him. “I didn’t get a good enough look,” he continued apologetically, “something came up and I wasn’t able to chase him any further.”

“Colress was in the Wild Area?” Arie asked suddenly. She hadn’t seen the blonde man when she was there herself, though she’d been focused on practicing her survival skills with her Absol and then getting Pokemon to safety. Though she’d never met him directly, had he recognized her somehow from her time in Unova? Was the other day an attack on her? As she spoke, all eyes turned to her, most of them only realizing her presence now.

“Who’re you?” A man with spiky black and white hair asked her. His face was pale, even fairer than her own pasty skin complexion. His eyes had large dark circles underneath them as if he was constantly sleep deprived. 

“She’s with us,” Raihan and Nessa both chimed in defensively, before her best friend could chime in. Nessa was the one to continue the sentiment. “When the Sanaconda Dynamaxed the other day, she helped me get people to safety away from it.”

Light nodded. “Leon and I met her in the Isle of Armor yesterday while we were looking for max mushrooms. She traveled to Unova, so she agreed to come and tell us a little bit more about what happened when she was there.”

The man’s suspicion grew even further as he looked into her eyes, almost unblinking. Was this man even human? Arie thought. “Little ‘spicious, showin’ up right as a new big bad’s appearin’ here an’ all,” he moved his eyes away from hers as he placed his attention once again on picking at his fingernails, his point having been made.

Finally, Klara had the chance to chime in. “She’s not new here. Arie’s been training on the Isle of Armor with me for years now. Besides, she uses dark and ghost-type Pokemon and doesn’t Dynamax her Pokemon, although I’m pretty sure her Gengar is capable of Gigantamaxing. You of all people should understand that, Piers.”

The man-Piers, as Klara had called him, darted his eyes between the two women before looking away again, bored. While it was clear he didn’t necessarily have a high level of respect for Klara- or Arie, for that matter, he at least was satisfied by her answer for the time being. From beside her, Raihan grinned. So she uses dark-types, he thought to himself. She liked to train at a disadvantage. That sounded a lot like-

From the other end of the room, Kabu’s head snapped suddenly to attention. “Arie?” he said in shock, grinning. The older man ran over to the dark-type trainer, giving her a brief hug before relocating to the nearest vacant chair. “I’d been wondering if you’d actually made it across the sea. I see you’re still training with fighting-type leaders?”

Arie grinned at her father’s best friend. “You bet I am.”

Professor Magnolia cleared her throat once again, and everyone looked back at her apologetically for the diversion. “Arie, dear, maybe you could share with us your experience in Unova, with these devices at least?”

She nodded, uncomfortable with the many pairs of eyes that were on her currently. “I left the region as it was all going down, but I did run into a few Team Plasma who’d sicked some mind-controlled Pokemon on me. They were just like that large desert snake- Sanaconda thing, red glowy eyes and looking to beat the shit out of whatever humans they could find. Took down a few Team Plasma grunts here and there but tried not to get too involved with anything. Really only went there to get away from Hoenn for awhile. Once trouble started popping up left and right, we left to come here. Don’t really care much for cities anyway.”

“Any chance Colress would have seen you, or follow you here for some reason?” A red-headed girl who looked to be the polar opposite of Arie asked. The redhead had heart-shaped hairclips in her long flaming hair, dressed in a white lab coat and a bright green sweater underneath. Her features were soft and sweet, but you could tell this woman was one hell of a resourceful thinker. 

Arie shook her head. “Nah, least not that I know of. Absol and I were kinda sick of the fame from Hoenn, so we kept on the down-low when we were there. Far as I know, Colress has no reason to have seen our faces.”

The redhead smiled at her, pleased with the response. It probably made the situation easier, not having an outsider to their little circle be a threat to their region. She’d have felt the same if this was Hoenn. 

“Thanks, dear,” the Professor said. “Now, one other thing that Juniper told me was that the mind control device failed to work on a young boy’s Pokemon. She couldn’t remember what Pokemon it was, other than it was a Pokemon that could Gigantamax. I’m not sure if Gigantamaxing is the secret to keeping away the powers of the device, but for now it’s all we have. I had Light and Leon gather some mushrooms that are imbued with Gigantamax energy yesterday and am having Hop work on a soup recipe that brings out the power of these mushrooms to any Pokemon that eats it. I certainly recommend you all give it to any of your Pokemon that are capable of Gigantamaxing, maybe even the Pokemon that can’t in case the power is enough. We need to get our hands on a device so we can start running experiments to find out how to stop it from happening. In the meantime, we need to be ready to stop any Pokemon that are controlled.”  
Raihan cleared his throat. “We need to stay together near areas where Pokemon can Dynamax. The Sanaconda took several of us battling with all of our Pokemon to stop it. Those fuckers are strong. One or two people isn’t going to be enough, not if we want to also find who has the device. My guess is this asshole’s going to target areas with Dynamax now that he knows he can, which means the Wild Area, Isle of Armor, and Crown Tundra, but we also need to keep our defenses up everywhere else.”

Leon nodded. “We need to come up with a solid plan for who’s going to be positioned where until we can sort this out.”

Arie was impressed at how quickly the two men were able to snap into action, working together as if running some sort of company or military. Maybe the dragon-trainer was more than just an obnoxious flirt, she wondered. Dragon types were pretty fickle and only attached themselves to strong trainers. Which was why most of the members of a region’s Elite Four, or some of the later Gym Leaders in most regions were dragon trainers. It made sense- dragon types really only evolved under intense training situations in most cases. Many of them needed some special training, or even certain items to use during their training, which meant their trainers also had to be smart. Raihan noticed the dark-type trainer eyeing him and grinned. This wasn’t exactly his first crisis situation. 

“Milo, Nessa and I can take our usual positions in Motosoke area and through part of the Wild Area,” Kabu offered. 

“I’ll cover the dojo with Mustard and Honey! Those Pokemon won’t know what hit em!” Klara volunteered. 

“Hop and I will cover this area, in case Gran needs anything and so we can keep doing research on the device. I’ll keep an eye out for power spots on my radar.” Sonia chimed in, making a small note on her Rotom phone.

“I’d prefer to stick to Ballonea,” Bede said with a flip of his hair. “There’s no Dynamax spots besides the gym and we handled the last incident just fine on our own.”

Light gritted her teeth but allowed it. With Opal there, they would likely be fine. 

“I’ll stick to Circhester,” Gordy said. “Not much around that’s dangerous, but I can’t leave the Heroes’ Bath alone. I’ll crush anyone who tries to get near it. My mom can help watch over or sail Lapras wherever she’s needed pretty quickly.”

“Since Peonia and me are on vacation, we’ll keep an eye on the Tundra!” Peony boomed, his voice even louder than usual with excitement. 

“I’d be honored to go with you, Peony,” Bea offered politely. “My fighting types could be of great assistance against any icy types that you might face. I’d also be honored to have the opportunity to learn from you.”

“Well aren’t you just the sweetest! The more the merrier!” he laughed, patting the girl on the shoulder gently. 

“Light and I will take care of Wyndon.” It was Leon’s turn to chime in. “Swordbert and Shielbert can also keep watch when we’re not around. They’re proven themselves enough times over that I’m comfortable leaving them to watch over the city when we’re not there.”

That left himself, Piers, Marnie and Arie, Raihan noted. “Guess the rest of us will stick around Hammerlocke. Up for another adventure, Piers?”

Surprisingly, the fair-skinned male grinned. “Wouldn’ be me if I wasn’ in the middle of all th’ trouble.” 

Marnie, on the other hand, shook her head. “One of us has gotta stay in Spikemuth. Team Yell ‘n’ I’ll keep the trouble away. Jus’ call if you need anythin’, big bro.”

Raihan nodded in understanding. Her reason made sense. Team Yell would follow that girl until the ends of the Galar, literally screaming and kicking the whole way. If those goons followed her into a battle with one of the mind controlled Pokemon, they’d never get even remotely close to whoever had the device before Team Yell made their presence known and gave them a chance to escape. Not that Marnie would ever say that out loud. 

Arie hesitated. She’d be staying in Hammerlocke? She hadn’t packed clothes, or even had a place to stay. Light sent her an apologetic look. She clearly hadn’t been expecting this either. 

Raihan sensed her hesitation. “Both Arie and Piers can stay at the castle, of course. Arie, I’ve got a few spare clothes you can have since I see you packed lightly.” He looked between Light, who he’d initially bought the clothes for, and the new girl. Light was certainly curvier than she was. The champion worked her muscles in a much different way than the dark-type trainer did. Arie, he could tell, did the bare minimum to survive and make it from place to place; mostly cardio, in other words. Light was also a tad bustier than the woman who sat next to him now. “Some of them might be a little…off for you, but you’re welcome to anything you want if you don’t want to buy any new clothes. It’s a little colder here in Hammerlocke than the Island.” Raihan had chosen his words carefully so avoid offending his ex-girlfriend, and no doubt the man now attached to her hip. Thankfully, his choice of words hadn’t gained any notice from them. 

The dark type trainer noticed Raihan’s gaze. Had the champion and the dragon trainer really been that serious? He didn’t seem like relationship material to her, though what did she know? She’d never actually had one herself. Would the rosy-haired woman be angry that she was borrowing her clothes? Were they outfits Raihan had picked out for her, or clothes she’d left behind in the breakup? Maybe it would be best for her to pick up a few things of her own, at least to wear when she was out in public. She was just now making a few friends in the region, a surprise for her, and she didn’t want to ruin that. Not yet anyway. A part of her wanted to just make a stealthy exit, run away to a new region where no one would know her name. It’s what she did in Unova when things got tough, but something was keeping her here. 

They wrapped up the meeting by exchanging phone numbers across the board, making accommodation and travel plans. Professor Magnolia sent each trainer home with a few bowls of the soup to feed their Pokemon. Light and Leon approached Raihan and Arie, who’d been making travel and accommodation plans themselves.

“Hey, let’s go sit in the fields and have a picnic for our Pokemon,” Light said, smiling at the two other trainers. “There’s a place just between here and Postwick, which we’re going to stop in on our way back to say a quick goodbye to our mums. Sonia gave me some leftovers that we can eat too, so you can fill up before your trip back. You can come too, Rai,” she added hastily, looking away as she said this. Arie noticed the guilt that crossed her face, and the slightly pained expression that crossed his. 

Before he flashed a toothy grin, that is. “You’re on, Sonia’s cooking is the best! I’ll bet Flygon’s raring to stretch its wings for a bit without being called to battle!” he answered for them before Arie could respond, more chipper than she would have expected, given what she knew of the situation. Maybe this wouldn’t be so awkward, she thought.

Leon grinned. “I’ll bet Charizard would love a good fight with Flygon. It’s been too long since he’s had a proper battle against anyone.”

They walked out to a cute little field filled with Wooloo. The soft sheeplike Pokemon cleated and snuggled up to the former and current Champion, who stroked their soft wool. Clearly these trainers had interacted with the Pokemon before, caring for and feeding them. “Sorry guys, this isn’t for you today,” Light told them softly as they sniffed at her soup. In a more open area, the rosy-haired woman released an Arcanine who barked softly, turning to nuzzle its trainer’s face. 

“No way, Growlithe evolved already?” Raihan said incredulously, gaping at the fire-type. The Arcanine barked towards the dragon trainer happily, shaking its head as if to show off its new strength. “You’ve really been working hard with him since you got back.”

She grinned, patting her Pokemon’s warm fur. They sat down and both Light and Leon leaned against it, acting as a soft cushion for the two to snuggle against. The entire scene was so…domesticated. It was both cute and nauseating to Arie. It was clear they were also holding back, keeping themselves slightly more distanced from each other than they’d prefer, most likely for Raihan’s sake. 

Raihan took a seat next to Arie on the grass, releasing his own Flygon. The dragon sniffed the bowl in his hands before happily snacking away at the meal. His other Pokemon followed, happy to be released from their Pokeballs. Arie hesitated. Most people had never seen her Pokemon outside of battle, apart from Absol. She released her partner first, only to earn surprised sounds from Raihan. “Whoa, I’ve never seen one that’s red before,” he said as he and the Pokemon regarded each other. Her partner’s reaction wasn’t as strong or immediate as it was for Leon, or especially Light. The dog-like creature slowly crept its way towards the dragon trainer, its wary green eyes never leaving his. Raihan, too was reminded of the same shade of green in Light’s eyes. When the Absol reached him, it huffed, sitting down next to the man, allowing him to stroke its fur, put not pushing himself into the touch. The entire situation made the Gym Leader laugh aloud. The Pokemon, now sitting next to him, refused to completely open up to him, just as he’d done with many other people, letting him in just enough, but not all the way. He wondered how the creature had reacted to Light and Leon as he laughed.

Arie noted the interaction. It had certainly been different than the other two trainers, yet Raihan was still worthy enough to her partner to let him touch it, which was unusual for the Pokemon. In all of their travels, her partner had only let a handful of people get even near it, two of them being her parents, and the other was Phoebe. Even Klara couldn’t yet touch Absol. Yet for some reason, the most recent three trainers she’d encountered were ones he’d immediately warmed up to. Were they why she didn’t feel she could leave the region just yet? She set a bowl of soup in front of her partner, who was still seated at the Gym Leader’s side. 

“How’d you meet such a cool Pokemon?” Raihan asked her, his cerulean eyes moving from her Pokemon to her lavender irises. 

“I met Red in Hoenn,” she explained, keeping her story vague on purpose. “Been with me my whole time as a trainer practically. Even competed in a few Pokemon contests.” Arie fished around in her bag and pulled out a second container, filled with Ribbons from each of the events Absol had dazzled in.

“What’s a Pokemon contest?” Light asked, suddenly curious.

“It’s a less stuck-up beauty pageant. Absol would get up on stage, show off some moves to wow the audience. There was no way in hell I was going to put a ridiculous outfit on him though, so we didn’t get very far without it. Judges there went nuts any time a little guy had a frilly outfit on. Not exactly our style. I think Red’s a gorgeous enough boy without all of that crap.”

The Pokemon looked proudly up at her as everyone eyed in, nodding in agreement. “Pokemon beauty contests…” Leon mused aloud. “I’ll bet Charizard would win them all here, wouldn’t you buddy?” He said to his partner, who snorted and threw its head back with a choked laughter. The three trainers began gesturing to their recently released Pokmeon and arguing over who would win a Pokemon contest. Arie laughed along with them, feeling strangely comfortable with her new acquaintances. 

After the picnic, the two pairs parted ways. Arie and Raihan agreed on doing a quick swing around the Wild Area before heading back into the city of Wyndon. They’d been just about ready to leave Hammerlocke Hills and walk into the city when a swarm of three Cubchoos, all with red, glowing eyes charged towards them. 

“Shit,” Raihan hissed. He would be mostly at a disadvantage against the cubs. He sent out his Torkoal and Turtonator first, hoping the fire types could do some damage to the icy Pokemon before he had to send out his dragons. Arie released her Absol and Umbreon, both Pokemon that could move quickly to block and counter the moves against Raihan’s fire types, both of which were slower, but would do the bulk of the damage against the cubs compared to her Pokemon, which didn’t have a clear offense against them. Her strategy worked, with her Absol and Umbreon’s quick claws breaking through their icy blasts before they could hit Raihan’s Pokemon. Despite their unusual strength, the team was able to take down the cubs pretty quickly. Absol and Umbreon, however, she could tell were extremely tired from the vigorous exercise. 

“You guys okay?” Raihan asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she panted, out of breath from the quick commands she gave to her team.

She nodded. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Raihan couldn’t agree more.

Once she was in the city and after Raihan had shown her to and around the castle briefly, Arie decided to do some shopping for clothes and food. Raihan had been right; Hammerlocke was much colder than the Isle of Armor. She picked up a pair of black athletic joggers with a red stripe down the side and a track jacket to match. She also grabbed a short black skirt and matching black sweater, along with a pair of steel-toed designer boots to match, on the off-chance she decided to go out one night in the city. When it came to sleepwear, she decided, she would wear whatever clothes Raihan said she could use. It wouldn’t matter whether it fit properly or who it belonged to if she was just sleeping in her own bed. 

As far as food went, Arie picked up most of her favorites: fresh fish, bread dough, vegetables and berries, some white-meat bird, all of which she’d cooked with while living on her own. It was unlikely that the dragon trainer had anything less than top-notch equipment in his kitchen, which of course she wasn’t accustomed to, but she was sure she could find recipes and specifications on her Rotom Phone if needed. 

Piers was skulking around the kitchen when she walked in. On the plate he carried sat an apple and a small piece of cake that was left over from their meeting with Sonia. It became abundantly clear why the man was so scrawny to her now. He turned his silver-blue eyes to her. “Sorry ‘bout b’fore, accusin’ you ‘n’ all, ‘m jus’ tired of th’ trouble.”

She shook her head. “Nah, I get it. I met you guys at a bad time. So, I hear you’re also a dark-type trainer.”

He shrugged, picking at his cake with his long, skinny fingers, licking a bit of frosting from them. “So’s Marnie.” 

Seeing that the black and white- haired man wasn’t going to offer anything more to the conversation, Arie began cooking, her Absol trailing behind her every move, sniffing each ingredient on her hands as she did. The dark type, who usually helped her in the wild by bringing over ingredients and using its claws whenever she needed something sliced open, clearly felt out of place in the pristine kitchen. She’d decided to make pan-fried fish with steamed vegetables on the side. Easy, but delicious. 

Later that night, she tried to settle into the aquamarine room that Raihan had shown her earlier. The theme had clearly been painted for someone other than her. Based on the matching clothes inside the dresser, she landed on this room having been Light’s residence. She shuffled through the eveningwear until she found the only piece she’d be willing to ever be seen publicly in-a light gray silk nightgown that fell just below her bottom, and a navy blue silky robe to go over it. The clothing was clearly meant for someone shorter, meaning to reach just above the knees for someone who wasn’t as tall as the dark-type trainer. 

Arie sat on her bed for awhile, scrolling through her phone. She hated scrolling through social media. Staring at the empty ceiling would be more preferable to her than looking at another heavily filtered selfie or Pokemon picture. It was 11 pm, a little too late for her to go out by the time she would get dressed and be at the tavern. By this time on a week night, it would likely be not much more than drunk, older men that would do nothing but make her uncomfortable. Feeling bold, and a little bored, she tiptoed out into the hallway. On her left was Raihan’s room and Piers on the right. She took a left, tapping softly on the dragon-trainer’s door. 

Raihan opened the door, a little sluggish and confused. He was in his nighttime apparel as well: a pair of gray sweats and no shirt. His hat was off, leaving his hair in a slight disarray as it flopped behind his head. He smirked as he saw her outfit. “Couldn’t get enough of me, huh? Came to seduce me?”

She grinned impishly. “And what if I had?” She teased, letting her finger tap at her exposed thigh, just below where the fabric of her ensemble stopped.

The dragon trainer swallowed hard. Clearly, he hadn’t actually been expecting her to show up tonight like she had. He wasn’t sure of the reason, maybe it was boredom, maybe she liked him, or maybe she’d already gotten into the stash of good liquor he kept in the kitchen. But whatever the reason, who the hell as he to say no?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like Raihan is doing a lot better dealing with Light and Leon's relationship now. Don't worry, we'll get some Raihan and Arie smut down the line. (; 
> 
> Side note, I started my classes today, so my chapters might slow down quite a bit. I don't plan to make a recurring schedule or anything, but I will try to make one to stick to if things get a little crazy.


	6. A little slice of home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since most of the action is probably going to take place around Hammerlocke for awhile, I figured I'd give us a cute little fluffy chapter on our favorite Champions before diving more into Raihan and Arie (and one other familiar face)'s story

Light and Leon had ventured back to Postwick after their picnic, eager to see their mums before they would likely be tied up in Wyndon for quite some time. Light debated having the two of them visit separately, making the visit slightly shorter for the sake of getting back to Wyndon faster, but decided that Swordbert and Shielbert could watch over the city for a few extra hours. Besides, her mum was likely to be the death of her instead if she didn’t bring Leon by for a visit. The thought made her chuckle as they walked. Mum had always loved Leon, maybe rooting for the two of them as a pair a little too much. Of course, her mum had liked Raihan fair enough when she’d stayed at his palace, spilling all of her embarrassing childhood stories, but even before she’d become an item with the former champion, her mum had always had complete and absolute adoration for the Undefeated Champion. Naturally, Leon ate up any of the motherly attention she threw his way and begged for any cute and embarrassing anecdotes of his girlfriend’s youth. It had, of course, been upsetting that hadn’t gotten to know her when they were younger, too busy in Wyndon at the time. This gave him at least a small slice of the things he’d missed out on, and as a bonus instantly made her cheeks flush the most adorable shade of red every time. His favorite was any time her mum told an embarrassing story about her watching his matches, getting a little too excited and either breaking something or scaring their Munchlax out of its sleep. The cute glare that always popped up on her face was too much for him. 

Before they entered this time, Light turned on her heels to face him, pointing a finger in his direction. “No embarrassing stories this time Lee,” she threatened, narrowing her eyes at him. “I mean it, we’ll never get over to your place if you get her started.”

Leon chuckled, playfully moving in to bite her finger, which she moved out of the way just in time. The movement propelled Leon forward, crashing into the Champion, who caught him, laughing at his clumsiness. It was his turn to blush as he straightened himself up, pretending he hadn’t almost just faceplanted right on her doorstep. “All of her stories are just so funny,” he pouted at her. “Besides, why does my mom get to tell you embarrassing stories?”

“Because her stories of you don’t involve actively crushing on the champion through a tv screen,” she said, folding her arms across her chest determinedly. 

He smirked. “So you did have a crush on me.”

“That’s it,” Light said, using all of her force to push Leon towards his own house in Postwick. “You’ve lost your privileges of coming over. I’ll see you in an hour.”

Instead of walking, Leon wrapped his arms around her wriggling shoulders, squeezing tight to keep Light from escaping his embrace. When she sighed and stopped fighting against him, his kissed the top of her head. “My past stories might not involve crushing on the Champion, but all of my future stories sure as hell will.”

She glared at him but allowed him to take a step towards the door. His answer satisfied her, for now. Her mum wrapped them in a giant hug as they entered, holding them close for a few moments. “What a lovely surprise! I was just about to make some tea, come have a seat,” she exclaimed excitedly. 

“Mum?” It was Leon’s turn to be surprised as they entered Light’s kitchen to find the woman seated at the dining room table. 

Leon’s mum laughed. “Yes, dear, don’t act so surprised. We were friends long before even Hop and Light were close. Your parents need some company too, now that all you kids have gone and left us here alone. We have tea on a weekly basis, I’ll have you know. Can’t be too close now that our kids have grown up and decided to start dating, and each other no less.” She gave a knowing look between the two, pausing in particular at the small, purple spot at the base of his neck. Both trainers blushed and took a step apart, opting to lace their fingers together instead when they recalled their activities the night before. Leon ran a hand over his neck, resting it there as if his entire intention behind the movement had been to stretch his arms. Not that anyone was fooled in the slightest.

“What bring you two by?” Light’s mom said with a giggle, setting down four cups of tea, which the rosy-haired woman grabbed immediately in a meager attempt to hide her embarrassment behind her cup. Leon purposefully avoided his gaze from her. The last thing he needed was to be caught thinking about her the way he often did when she got pink in the face, especially with her childhood bedroom just on the other side of the wall. Every time they visited Postwick and spent the night, she’d have to reel him in from getting too rowdy. He shook his head, trying to force away the impure thoughts. Even at his worst in his teens, he’d never had this problem before. Something about her turned him into an absolute animal, a fiend, as Light liked to call him. Although usually when she called him that, he was certainly doing something she liked. 

“There’s been some dangerous Pokemon popping up,” he said once he’d gained a little composure. “It’s happening in random spots around Galar, so we’re all going to be watching different areas for the time being until we figure out how to stop it. We all met at the lab today and worked out who’s staying where. Hop and Sonia are going to be looking after this area, but it looks like Light and I are going to be stuck in Wyndon for a while.”

His mom smiled in an almost sad way. “Honey…you’ve been stuck in Wyndon for a while for more than a decade now. You’ve come home more in the past twelve months than in the past twelve years. What’s going on sweetheart?”

Light was taken aback, impressed by how perceptive and blunt his mother was. Leon blushed, slightly ashamed and regretful of how much he’d missed during those years. He’d only just recently come to terms with the fact that he’d been busier during that time than any other Champion. The way Rose had urged him to spend every free moment training, or making himself known as a public figure. The way Rose had groomed him to act almost as a second assistant, or his pet. And, of course, he’d realized how thankful he was that his family had never truly held it against him. Hop had always looked up to him, and his mother was understanding even if she didn’t care for it. And, of course, his grandparents had always supported everything he did. He’d been lucky. “Well, there was one other thing…” he started. 

A loud crash from outside the house startled them before he could finish his thought. “Are you expecting more company?” Leon’s mom asked while the two trainers jumped to their feet, already running towards the sound. “The Wooloo,” Light said softly as they moved, and Leon knew she had the same worry that he had. “Stay inside,” Leon barked to their mums as they flew through the front door. The last thing they needed were for the wild Pokemon to start in on their parents while they were trying to calm the Pokemon down, if they had in fact been followed and attacked by the mind controlled Pokemon. 

Their suspicions had been right. Attempting to tackle the fences and house outside, the wild Wooloo with red eyes bleated angrily. Three of them, Light counted as they scrambled about. When their eyes locked onto the trainers, all three of them charged towards the house. Light quickly sent out her Gallade, who normally would easily be able to stave off the normal-type Pokemon. She hoped that this time around, it wouldn’t be as difficult with her type advantage. She sent out her Arcanine as well, large enough to force the Pokemon away from the building. Leon’s Charizard worked with them, flapping its wings to blow the Pokemon farther away. 

“You go look ahead, I’ll take care of them here,” Leon told her as their stronger Pokemon began making easier headway on the Wooloo. Unlike in the Glimwood tangle, where Pokemon were slightly more fierce, the farm-bred Wooloo here were relatively tame. Light nodded, darting off towards Wedgehurst. If someone had gone into the Slumbering Weald, Leon would likely see them come out eventually. Unfortunately for her, there was a lot of area to cover between her house in Postwick and the fields leading up to the smaller town, and there were just enough obstacles to look around to make her job difficult. The straight path between the towns was clear at least, so Light hopped the fences to her right that led to the field behind Leon and Hop’s house. She checked behind the hay bales as she ran towards the windmill that constantly churned. As she crept forward, she released Dragapult, who could silently float behind her, ready to spring in case someone was there. The Pokemon immediately noted her motion to be silent and nodded, following her lead. 

The soft prattling of footsteps echoed in her ear as she approached, and Light took off in a sprint towards the sound, which had come from the side of the windmill opposite her. A small, hooded female figure was retreating away from the area. Unfortunately for her, Light had been too sneaky, and the female had left too late; Light’s extensive cardio training made her simply faster than the other girl. She grabbed the figure by her hood and launched herself to tackle the hooded woman successfully as they both plummeted to the ground. The other girl cursed, trying anything and everything to break free or to make contact with Light’s body.

“Shit,” she cursed again, fumbling in her pockets until she pulled out a small device. The girl pointed it at Light’s Dragapult, frantically pressing buttons, but it was no use; the fall had crushed the device, which the Champion now snatched into her own hands. “Where did you get this?” she snarled at the other woman, putting pressure on the knee that rest on top of her captive’s back, who remained silent. Light reached around for her arm, twisting it upwards into a minor hold against the girl’s back. She was careful not to apply too much pressure to substantially harm or torture the girl, but enough to show her that Light had her in a hold she didn’t intend to let go of until she received answers.

The girl shrieked at the pressure, finally stilling her body to avoid causing any more unnecessary pain, but otherwise remained silent. “Fine,” Light snapped, retrieving the rope Sonia had given her over a year ago at the beginning of her Gym Challenge to help her get out of any caves or tight spots around the region and used it to bind her assailant’s arms together behind her back and pulling them both upright. “If you won’t talk to me, then maybe you’ll talk to some of my friends. I’ve got nicer and I’ve got meaner, so you can take your pick.” 

Her phone rang suddenly and she realized that the effects of the device would have worn off on the Wooloo if this girl had been the one controlling the device. “Leon, I need you to meet me on the path in between our houses. I’ve got someone with a device,” she answered, seeing his called ID pop up on her screen.

“On it,” she heard him say with a rustle of sound before hanging up the phone, and she hoped he wasn’t bad enough with directions to have trouble finding his own house from there. Thankfully, when it came to the safety and well-being of others, Leon seemed to have a better sense of finding his way around and to the source of the danger when he wasn’t getting stuck up in the clouds of his own head. The man was too devoted to making sure others were okay that he found a way to overcome his poor sense of direction, at least in those moments. It was similar, she realized to how their Pokemon occasionally tended to overcome incredible obstacles, or managed to hang on to the very end of a battle just for the sake of their trainer. While she waited, she had Rotom send a message to Sonia and Hop that they would be back into the lab shortly with a captive and a broken mind control device. 

Leon reached her in no time, giving her a questioning look at the girl Light had tied up and was shuffing towards Wedgehurst. “We’re taking her to the lab,” Light explained. “Magnolia can check out the device, maybe even repair it, and hopefully the five of us can get her talking. We were barely out of our meeting before this happened, we had to have been followed.”

He nodded in understanding, pulling out his own Rotom Phone. He sent a message in the group chat he’d created days ago to get all of the leaders to Wedgehurts in the first place, asking if anyone else had run into trouble on the way home. It was likely, he realized, that they had multiple people, multiple devices in on this attempt to capitalize on Dynamax Pokemon. If their goal had solely been to follow the former champion and his girlfriend, they likely wouldn’t have Dynamaxed the Pokemon in the Wild Area the other day. Or had the Glimwood Tangle been a fluke and they were now trying to go after Light and Leon for getting in their way? There were too many possibilities to narrow down, or rule out any entirely. Responses flooding into his phone from Arie, Gordie and Marnie confirmed that at least three others had run into mind-controlled Pokemon on their way home. Some of those three were actively dealing with the problem as they’d responded, meaning there was at least another device and that they likely weren’t an incredibly long-range, at least not long enough to span the continent of Galar. That was at least something that they’d learned throughout the course of the day. 

Hop ran through the front door immediately as they were within eyesight of the lab, grabbing the hooded girl from Light and bringing her over to a testing room, where they released her arm holds. Light and Leon stood in front of the door while Hop and Sonia inspected the girl. The Champion handed the broken device over to Professor Magnolia, who promptly left the room to ensure she could inspect it in peace and without a chance that the hooded girl could get it back. 

Sonia was the one to initiate the conversation. “So, you got a name?” she asked in her usual, chipper tone, though both trainers that knew her well knew the tone didn’t match her eyes, which were currently angry at the threat this person had put on her loved ones’ lives. She continued when the girl remained silent: You can be quiet all you want, I’ll just keep going until something strikes a chord.” The redhead leaned down to whisper something in her Yamper’s ear, who barked at the pink and purple-haired individuals until they let it out of the room. It returned quickly with the bowl Sonia had been eating from just before they’d arrived. The redhead retrieved the bowl, sitting at the table across from the captive, now munching as she spoke. “I tried one of the new curry trends, and I’ve got to say, this one really has outdone itself. Hope you don’t mind me eating, you kind of interrupted my lunch break. Yamper’s a little more upset about it than I am. If I don’t give him his food exactly at noon each day, he gets a little hangry. Though, what am I saying? I bet you can’t relate.”

Leon was surprised, and a little taken aback by this side of Sonia. Her every action appeared friendly on the surface yet was so terribly cunning and cold. He shivered, glad he wasn’t the one sitting where the hooded girl was now. In a few hours, she’d be hungry, and the smell of Sonia’s delicious cooking, now wafting about the room, would drive her absolutely mad. The purple-haired male stole a glance at Light, noting the same uncomfortable expression on her face. It was clear she didn’t like this course of action any better than he did; was what they were doing really right? How were they any better than the people they were trying to stop if they had kidnapped this girl, who was clearly slightly younger than both of them? Yet, there were other people whose lives were at stake. Another shudder ran through him as he thought of his own Pokemon, having turned on him many months ago. No trainer should ever have to experience that. The thought steeled his resolve; he had to be tough here, had to be strong to keep anyone from ever having to experience that. If they didn’t do this, then who would? Who would stop the people who were responsible for the mind control?

Once again, Sonia continued on. “You can’t be what, more than fourteen, fifteen?” Another smart move- underestimating the girl’s age as a way to get her riled up and aggravated into talking. “I get it. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life at that point either. I’d set out for my gym challenge a little younger than you are now. I wasn’t half bad, but I realized pretty quickly that it wasn’t for me. My friends Raihan and Leon were much better suited for that than I was. And that’s fine. Not everyone has to take up that lifestyle. Although, I’m sure that if I’d run into someone who had bad motives, I might have gone along with it too, easily persuaded by someone who appeared to have a noble purpose, with how unsure I was of my own future. Thankfully, I had the guys and my gran to keep me on the right path, helping me stay away from influences that were negative. Though, I suppose we’re pretty lucky. We haven’t had too many of those here in Galar, apart from recently of course. Guess what I’m trying to say is, I’ve been in your shoes kid, we can help you do good things here in Galar instead of harm.”

Still silence. Light had to admit, this younger woman had more stubbornness in her than any of them had given her credit for. Even as Sonia continued on, she still stayed silent. They might have presumed she was completely mute if she hadn’t screamed earlier. 

“Enough of this!” Hop exclaimed after a moment, causing all eyes to turn to where he was seated on the floor. His golden eyes burned angrily as they fixated on the hooded girl. “Can’t you see you’re putting innocent lives in danger? Your device is making Pokemon attack people! You’ve attacked my best friend, my colleagues, my brother and now my mom! They haven’t done a single thing to hurt anyone! Light here has saved Galar, and saved a strong, but misguided Pokemon from being used by our former Chairman who wanted to use it as an energy source. What could you possibly have against her?”

For the first time, the girl’s eyes met theirs, specifically Hop’s. Her irises were brown, a deep brown that was almost black. Sadness washed over her features. “I just wanted to help Pokemon learn to be strong. He said the best way for them to be strong was to be here, in Galar usin’ the device and somethin’ called Dynamax. Our Champion, Adler…his Pokemon look so happy when they win battles and are strong. He said that I could help Pokemon be strong like that by using the device, that they could be even stronger than when they’re with trainers. And that the device let us see that Pokemon resent their trainers for keepin’ them from their true potential, which is why they’re so angry. I thought if I could help free them from trainers, then they could reach their true potential with our help.”

Leon shook his head sadly. “I get it,” he said in an understanding tone. “My greatest wish is to help trainers become strong all over Galar and reach new potential with their Pokemon. But this isn’t the way to do it. All the Pokemon you use the device on…they’re so sad and full of regret afterwards. And that’s just the wild Pokemon. Using this device on Pokemon that belong to someone…” he trailed off, deep in the thought of his own Mr. Rime. “That ruins the relationship between the Pokemon and the trainer. Seeing your own Pokemon come at you with hate, and anger, helping to be a part of something to torture you…it’s something that’s not easy to come back from. But if you keep using those devices, that’s what you’re doing to people.” Hardness seeped its way into his voice and he felt Light’s soft hand touch his forearm gently, as if to bring him back to reality, to her. Leon took a deep breath and turned to meet her eyes, thankful as always for the effect her presence had on him. 

It was Sonia and Hop’s turn to stare at him, and the former champion blushed slightly at the realization he’d never actually disclosed with the other two how serious the incident with Rose and his Mr. Rime had been. Their eyes flashed sympathetically before turning back to their captive, who now was eyeing Leon, considering the things he’d said. Regret and sorrow filled her features just before she looked to the floor. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. 

“Then tell us everything you know, please,” urged Light softly, taking a step carefully towards her. Sonia darted quickly to the other room, returning with a bowl of her curry and spoon, waiting for the girl’s next words before handing them over. 

“I don’t know much,” she said, looking sheepishly at the floor. “Honest. My name’s Lana, by the way. I know that’s not what you’re lookin’ for, but figured I could give you somethin’. The man who gave me the device never told me his name, only what he wanted from us.”

“Us?” Sonia asked, handing her the food. “How many of you are there?”

“I dunno,” she shrugged, poking the spoon carefully at the bowl. “He only ever really talked to us one or two at a time, never in a big group. Sounded like he had a few at least though. Said he wanted us to try to find places where Pokemon Dynamax and use the device on them when they’re all big and stuff. And to stop any trainer that gets in our way.”

“Do all of you have devices? How far do they reach?” It was Hop’s turn to chime in.

“Far as I know, everyone’s got one. They don’t go too far. From where you found me,” she gestured at Light. “to the Wooloo it was controllin’ was about the farthest I’ve seen it. Even then I could see it losin’ its power on them. The stronger the Pokemon is, the closer you’ve gotta be. I tried hittin’ your Charizard with it, but couldn’t even get a read on it from where I was.”

“Is there any way to keep that thing from having an effect on Pokemon?” Hop continued asking, eyes lighting up slightly as he got the chance to practice gathering information for research purposes. He was actively engaging in his calling.

Lana shook her head. “Dunno. Seems to be harder the stronger the Pokemon is and the more it loves its trainer, but I dunno anything for sure. Might be something in Galar that we don’t know about too.” 

“Like Dynamax and Gigantamax?”

Another shrug. “Maybe. Still don’t really know what those things are.”

“You weren’t born here in Galar, I take it,” Sonia interjected before Hop could continue down his line of questions. It was clear the girl was feeling the need to clam up with so many questions bombarding her. Sonia was excellent in determining when to shift gears, and Light wondered if maybe behavior was what she should have chosen to study over Pokemon and Dynamaxing, though the latter seemed to fit her well. Her features, which had been cold earlier, were now softened, pitying the younger girl. 

“No,” Lana said, relief washing over her features at the easier question. “I grew up in Unova, and was brought over here after meetin’ the man who gave me the device. He had blonde hair and some odd glasses. Always wore a lab coat, but never did tell us his name. I shouldn’t have come here,” she whined, digging into the food finally as she appeared to compose herself, before mumbling in a defeated tone: “I just wanna go home.”

Sonia put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “And we’ll help you do that. We’ll get you back to Unova as soon as it’s safe to travel. Until then, you can stay here with us. Please, if there’s anything more you can tell us about these devices, you’d really be helping us put a stop to this.”

“Thank you. Really. I’ve done nothing but trouble, yet here you all are helpin’ me. And, I’m sorry, I really dunno any more, honest. We weren’t told much of anythin’ other than what I’ve already told you. None of us know where any of the others are, or who the others are. Even if I did know where they were stationed, I probably couldn’t even begin to help you find them. The other guy who was with me went the opposite way as me this mornin’ after you all were done meetin’ here. He had a suit just like mine, but kept his hood up so I can’t tell you much more than that.”

“Are all of you wearing that uniform?” Hop asked.

Lana shrugged. “Some of us are- at least the guy I was with was. Dunno about the others. For all I know, they could have their own uniforms or color schemes, though I doubt it. Nothin’ special about my group over the others.”

The trainers nodded in understanding and Leon sent a message to their group chat with a picture of the girl and a warning to keep an eye out for that uniform. “Thanks,” he said to her as he began to motion to Light that it was time for the two of them to depart. “I’ll have my staff in Wyndon look into arranging a flight back. They’ll contact Sonia here about the details.”

“Well, so much for visiting our mums,” Light sighed sadly as they left the lab and waited for their Flying Taxi to arrive. The disappointment was clear on her face. Although Leon had grown accustomed to not seeing his family as frequently during his time as Champion, the new Champion was still adjusting to the change, and had seen her mum fairly frequently, which of course Leon had been completely supportive in, given his previous experiences with Rose. It was unclear how long she’d have to go without her mum, and the thought made her slightly anxious and upset. The purple-haired male wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him in a sweet hug. He wished, more than anything, that they didn’t have to fly back so soon, but the sun was already beginning to set and it was imperative they kept sharp, ready for anything. The memory of the last time he’d been so desperate to put that beautiful smile back on her face, the night almost seven months ago she’d shown up at his hotel room having just broken up with Raihan and looking like she’d shattered to a million pieces. The past six months there hadn’t been a need to feel the urge as she’d been smiling constantly, but the anxiety on her feature now brought that need back to the surface as strong as it had been the night they’d gotten drunk together. 

Still hugging her, he reached into his pocket and placed a small object in her palm, something he’d been hoping to ask her earlier, assessing her mum’s opinion on the matter first, but the opportunity had been lost.

Light turned her palm up, opening it to reveal a key. “Move in with me,” Leon said, turning his amber irises on her. “You’re practically moved in already, with how often you’re over. Might as well free up the room you never use for the hotel and make it official. If you think you can handle being around me all the time, that is.”

Her bright smile returned to her face, and Leon found himself grinning with her. “Does this mean I have free reign to your cap collection?” she teased, quickly snatching the cap he was currently wearing and placing it on her own head. 

Leon shook his head, chuckling, but not reaching for his hat back. Instead, he tipped the cap down past her eyes so that she couldn’t see and leaned in for a surprise kiss, which she happily returned, reaching her hands to play with the hair that was now exposed from the lack of cap on top of it. “If you keep being this cute, then maybe,” he joked back. “As long as you don’t steal my favorite one.”

She did a double-check, looking at the cap she’d snatched from his head. It was his signature cap that he’d worn with his Champion outfit, always. Very rarely had she seen Leon wear a cap different than the one he wore today. “Isn’t this your favorite cap?”

He shook his head, blushing. “It was,” he said. Truthfully, he’d found a new favorite cap about seven months ago. The day they’d flew to the Isle of Armor he’d accidentally grabbed a different cap by mistake in their rush to get to the site. It wasn’t altogether incredibly different than his usual one, except the pattern on the brim of the hat resembled the markings on the chest of a Dragapult in red lines rather than the yellow pattern that was on his usual cap. It was the cap he’d worn by accident the day they’d made love for the first time and had immediately become his new lucky cap, one he wore only on days he wouldn’t be flying or at risk for losing it. And, of course, on days where he’d be facing tough battles. It had actually taken Leon almost two weeks to realize the cap was different, himself. The day Raihan had come to see him in his hotel suite and thrown the cap at him after Leon had admitted his feelings for the Gym Leader’s former girlfriend was the first time he’d noticed the difference himself. His blush deepend as he recounted the tale for Light. 

The rosy-haired woman’s eyes widened in surprise and emotion before throwing her arms around his, pulling him close and pressing her lips to his passionately. 

It was quite possibly the most romantic thing Light had ever heard. A cap he’d mistakenly put on the day they they’d confessed their love meant more to him than caps that had served as a symbol to him for his reign as Champion, and stayed with him into his transition into his new role in Wyndon. She deepened the kiss, feeling the sudden need to feel him, feel all of him against her. Looking around, she noted that the coast was clear and dragged him to the back of the lab building, backing herself up to a wall that wasn’t surrounded by windows and out of site to the village of Wedgehurst. Their Flying Taxi had a ways to go before arriving and she simply couldn’t wait the hours it would be for them to return home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thanks to anyone who stuck around for me to publish the next chapter. School's been hitting hard and I'm trying to make my chapters longer rather than do a bunch of shorter chapters. I also hit some mega writer's block, so we're finally back. this is one of my longer and smuttier chapters, so enjoy XD

Arie fell back onto the bed, her body spent. She’d had a number of sexual partners over the years, but nothing that had ever been quite so gratifying and exhausting. Raihan panted next to her, his dark skin glistening with sweat. He was equally as impressed with the dark-haired woman, amazed at the way her body, clearly fit for running marathons kept up just as well with his, stamina equal to three of the average woman. The dark-type trainer had been fairly quiet overall during their heated experience, mainly speaking up to demand him to ‘faster’, ‘keep going’, and his favorite: ‘right there.’ Her body was what gave way to how intensely she was feeling any pleasure: trembling if something felt just right, her breathing and soft panting picking up in pace, the way she pressed her thighs into his hips when she wanted more. She was certainly different than what he was used to, but fuck was she good. If there was anything he knew, it was that he wanted to do that again. Maybe it had been the damn near nine months since he’d had sex- minus his one night stand just a few nights earlier that had ended in disappointment, but whatever they’d just done had definitely woken up some primal urge in him that he’d put to bed when he was dating a virgin. 

As Raihan went to fetch some water for the two, Arie explored his apartment, mostly in search of her clothes that had been flung haphazardly around the room, but also to understand the man she’d just slept with slightly more. The room was fairly barren: clothes were kept neatly folded in drawers, only a handful of pictures were placed on otherwise plain surfaces and walls around the room, and a small bench sat by the window, which looked out over the rest of Hammerlocke. The dark-type trainer went to sit on the bench, noting a small leather-bound notebook that was left open and the first few lines of writing caught her eye:

‘Today was tougher without you. I miss your smile, your lips on mine, your body. Sometimes I just lie awake at night thinking about every detail from that night, which would have been perfect if I hadn’t fucked up. You deserved nothing less than perfect. Please come back soon, I miss everything about you.’

She snapped the book shut before she could read any more, realizing the writings had been about, or at least for her new female friend. A throat clearing behind her caused Arie to jump, the book nearly flying out of her hands as she handed it back to the dragon trainer. “Sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly. “I just wanted to sit here, and it was open.”

Raihan took the journal back, keeping his eyes on her as if to assess how much she’d actually read. “You really loved her,” she noted when he didn’t say anything. She’d read enough.

“It’s better now than it was before,” he said, taking a seat next to her on the bench, handing a glass of water to Arie, who was currently wearing only the bedsheet. He’d thrown on a pair of gray sweats at least, on the off chance he’d run into some staff or Piers while he was out of his bedroom, not that anyone in the castle hadn’t seen him naked, current company included. “But it’s something I’m…working on forgetting.”

Arie chuckled, almost with a dark note in her laugh. “And that’s where I come in.”

He shrugged, looking at her slender form that hid just beneath the sheets. “Something like that,” he admitted, wanting already to pull her in for more of whatever they’d just done, despite the fact that even his muscles would be sore the next day, which almost never happened for him. “What’s in it for you?”

“I don’t do relationships,” she replied flatly at the remark. “Friends with benefits, sure. One-night stands? Even better. I don’t stay in one place for too long, and I’m bored pretty easily. Don’t wanna commit to something I’m just going to back out of in a few weeks anyway.” Her words were mostly the truth, at least enough of the truth that he needed to know for now anyway. There was no chance she was going to be dating him, or anyone soon for that matter. Arie looked over the man who sat next to her. “Though I don’t mind making that a more than one time thing, for the sake of helping you forget,” she added jokingly to the end. “Just don’t expect me to pine around for you all day.”

“Hey, if I catch you in here with another woman, I’m certainly not complaining. Might have to join in on the fun.”

She raised an eyebrow. So he had noticed who she’d left with that night at the bar. “And if you catch me with another man?”

Raihan grinned. “Hey, three’s a party. I’m down to fuck if they are.” It wasn’t as if he hadn’t done things with other males. Certainly, he tended to gravitate towards women, but it was a very well-kept secret of his, one he’d never even told Leon or Light. Not that he’d deny it if it ever came up, it wasn’t something he was ashamed of, but it had just never come up organically. 

That piqued her interest. Arie thought about the icy blue stare from Piers and the way she’d considered venturing into his room earlier and wondered how far she could push the boundaries of friendship between the two males. Though she certainly had a decent amount of sexual experience, a three-way was something she hadn’t yet done, despite it having always piqued her interest. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said coyly, playing with the rim of her glass of water as she looked out the window. Everything other than the streetlights and a few stray lit windows was dark now. The cool breeze that Raihan had wafted in as he’d walked over felt magnificent on her skin, still flush from their recent activity, and she noted the flush still present in his cheeks. Yet his cerulean eyes roamed over her barely-covered body as if he was already hungry for more. 

“Why don’t we get some sleep before we go on patrol tomorrow,” Raihan said to her surprise, handing to her what few pieces of clothing he could reach of hers and gesturing towards the door. Arie found herself relieved that her recent sexual conquest wasn’t big on snuggling or spending the night. She much preferred the quiet company of her Absol, whose fur kept her warm and safe as she slept. When her clothes were on, the dragon trainer grabbed her by the hips, pulling her in for an electrifying kiss, his tongue meeting hers and sending heat down to her lower abdomen. “Just to make sure your dreams are as sweet as your pussy,” he said, squeezing her rear once before gently guiding her out of the room. She hurried back to her room before anyone could see what little clothing she did have on. 

The next morning, Arie woke to a text from Raihan asking if she would wake Piers while he started on making breakfast. She knocked on the other dark-type trainer’s door softly, and then loudly again when she didn’t hear an answer. When he still didn’t answer, she opened the door which had surprisingly been unlocked. Piers was still sleeping when she walked in, his lower half only barely covered by the sheet, making it apparent he’d slept completely naked. His normally spiky style hair flopped flatly around his face, just framing his closed eyes and cheeks as he slept on his stomach, head resting on his arms. Arie would have called the sight ‘cute’ if she didn’t get the feeling he’d rip her mouth off for saying such a thing. Again, as she tried to wake him, there was no response despite his steady breathing. She wondered how on earth he ever managed to wake up for anything on time.

Eventually, a tug on the hair was what woke him. The singer gripped her wrist, pulling her down to eye level with him. “Touch my fuckin’ hair again an’ I’ll make sure yer hand never sees the light of day again, pet,” he growled. When his icy blue eyes opened, he started a bit at the sight of her, and Arie swore she saw a slight tinge of pink in his cheeks. To her surprise, instead of being intimidated or scared, she felt excited at the hard grip on her wrist, the violent stare that bored into her now. The sheet had fallen even further as he’d started, leaving his bottom exposed now, which clearly wasn’t something that phased him in the slightest. Though, it was hard to find his warning scary or intimidating when his hair was so long and floppy around him and naked in this state. Arie pulled his wrist to her lips, biting the spot where his blue veins stood out clearly against his pale skin. Piers jumped, surprise flashing in the icy blue eyes of his. She smirked, turning around to give him a decent view of her backside as she walked towards the door. “Get up, pet,” she sneered back playfully. “Raihan’s making breakfast and then we’re patrolling.”

The glimpse of him blinking after her that she’d caught as she retreated had her grinning all the way to the kitchen. Oh, this was going to be fun, she thought. 

Raihan was spooning scrambled eggs he’d just finished making onto a plate that contained bacon, berries and sausage. Everything smelled delicious. “How the hell did you make all of this so fast?” she asked, grabbing a plate and digging in. Arie hadn’t eaten since before their sexual encounter (more like encounters) the night before and was famished. The dragon trainer’s cooking tasted every bit as good as it smelled and she moaned at the exquisite taste, piling the food down quickly. Raihan grinned at the sound and her appetite, feeling much the same himself. He’d been paying close attention to the dark-type trainer and noticed the way her face broke out into a sly grin and her eyes flashed with intrigue as Piers entered the room. His gaze shifted to the other man, who avoided her gaze, but otherwise kept his expression flat. 

“Morning Piers,” he said with a grin, eager to see this interaction unfold. 

“Mornin’” Piers said groggily, careful not to look at Arie as he lifted his eyes to the dragon trainer. He sat on one of the stools in the kitchen, icy blue eyes staring towards the window outside. When he didn’t take bites, Raihan noticed, he was rubbing his wrist, as if it had been sprained.

“Yo man, what’s up with your hand?” Raihan asked. 

Arie snickered from beside him and Pier’s face turned a slight shade of pink. “Hmph, ask yer new sexual conquest,” he said, sneering towards the two as he ate

It was Arie’s turn to blush slightly. He’d heard them? Of course, their suites weren’t exactly far apart, but she’d figured the walls of the castle were more soundproof than they apparently were. The darker-toned man had made no effort to quiet himself in the moment. She turned to glare at both of them as she responded. “For someone who looks like he never sleeps, he sure is a deep sleeper. Had to wake him up somehow.”

“Normally don’t sleep much,” Piers admitted. “The beds here ‘re pretty comfy fer sleepin’, so every once an’ awhile I sleep in a bit. Apparently they’re pretty good for other things ‘round here too.”

Raihan laughed and Arie stabbed him lightly with her fork. It was all the same to him; he liked it when she got a little tougher, which they’d discovered last night. “Aww Piers, you sayin’ you want in on the action?” The dark-haired woman teased, moving until her body was almost flush against his, blinking at him seductively as she teased. 

Instead of pushing her away, as she’d expected, the other dark-type trainer grabbed her by the forearms roughly, moving his face just inches from her lips. “An’ what’re ya gunna do ‘bout it if I do?” He quipped back, his icy eyes boring into hers for a few tense moments. Her breath hitched, her body and heartrate springing into action already. Was he going to kiss her, right here in front of Raihan? Instead, he chuckled before slinking away with the rest of his plate. “I’ll be outside feedin’ Obstagoon,” he mumbled as he retreated, leaving the other two trainers alone again.

Once again, Raihan was smug. He grabbed Arie’s now-empty plate and strode towards her until her back was pinned against the cabinets. “Making fast work on that three-way we talked about last night huh?” Surprisingly, he wasn’t jealous, or even bothered about the fact that the woman with him now clearly also wanted their other housemate, or the fact that it was possible he wanted her too, despite his recent history with Light. This, unlike his previous relationship, wasn’t a relationship. There didn’t have to be feelings involved, and in this case, it was possible he’d get to have them both. In fact, it only made him want her more, and the evidence was apparent as he lifted her hips, placing her on the counter behind them and pressing his hips into hers. 

“Don’t we have a patrol to get on?” she asked as his lips found her neck. The way she arched her back into it and the way her lips parted certainly wasn’t a no, but Raihan wasn’t going to push it any further until he had a clear green light from her. 

“Obstagoon is slower than a Slowpoke when it comes to eating,” he replied. At least that much was true. Pier’s ace Pokemon was certainly fast in battle, but took more than its fair share of time to finish any meal, playing with the food until it almost no longer resembled anything like what it was initially supposed to be eating. “We have… some time. I can be quick.” 

His smug grin was what reeled her in, desperate for those sharp teeth to be against her skin and, despite how intense their hookup the previous night had been, she wanted more of him. “But can you be quiet?” She asked, knowing they were far too gone now for his answer to matter as his teeth finally sank into the crook of her neck as he desperately undressed her lower half and then his own. He moaned loudly as he sank himself into her, gripping her hips roughly to bring her closer to him on the counter. “Mmm, so wet already,” he growled, lips still near her ear. Raihan began to thrust into her at a quick pace, the movement slamming against the cabinet doors and causing several utensils and plastic bowls to clatter loudly to the floor. 

“So much for being quiet,” she purred against his ear, digging her fingernails into his back as she met his thrusts with her hips, moving in time with his. Not that it mattered anyway; there probably wasn’t a single person in the castle that didn’t already know they’d had sex. Again, not that she was ashamed either. If she’d been a celebrity in Galar, she would have built up just as impressive a reputation as the dragon trainer, if not more since her indiscretions with other women weren’t something she ever felt the need to hide. 

Her nails, like the claws of her partner Absol, felt exquisite on his back. She was rough with him, not holding back in the slightest and couldn’t get enough of it. “Take my shirt off,” he demanded, his own hands too busy digging into her hips to use as leverage for his thrusts. “I fucking love it when you use my back like a Purrloin’s scratching post, but I also don’t want to replace this shirt when you make me bleed.”

“Too late,” she said as she tore the fabric off of his body, noting a few small flecks that stained the light blue shirt, tossing it to the ground as her hands returned to his back. If she knew exactly where she’d drawn blood, she might have been a little gentler with the area, but Raihan didn’t seem to mind, moaning as her nails pressed into his back more directly this time, feeling a burning from where she’d made the skin raw the night before, along with the areas of skin that were now small, open wounds beneath her soft skin. The pleasure the pain brought him was what brought him to the edge, pulling himself out of her just before he went over the edge, spilling onto the floor instead of into her. He dropped to his knees on the floor, burying his head in her sex as his tongue lapped along her clit. She let her head fall back as he did, eyes closed as she rested one hand on the back of his head and the other on her own breast, massaging the nipple to make every moment of his feel even better. Arie came twice around his mouth before pushing his head away from her. “I think we should probably get to that patrolling now,” she said as she came to her senses.

“Yes, I think so too,” An amused voice said from the doorway. Piers had returned with the empty plate. “Though I’m not sure if all of the Wild Area’s heard you yet. Should I come back when the dragons start returnin’ yer call, Rai?”

Raihan grinned, tossing a leftover link of sausage at the dark-type trainer as her worked to put back on his clothing. Arie found herself blushing as she put her shorts back on, though she’d seen Piers completely naked less than an hour earlier, so maybe they were even. The faintest pink flush on the pale man’s neck told her that their very public display may not have been the most unappealing thing to him. Which would work in favor of the three-way she hadn’t entirely been joking about with Raihan earlier. “You’re just pissed you didn’t get the special breakfast menu this morning, and you know it,” the dragon trainer teased. “Definitely closer to dessert than breakfast though,” he said, licking his lips for show. 

Both dark type trainers realized he’d been talking about the oral sex he’d just performed on her, and Arie noticed the back and white-haired man stealing glances towards her rear. “You both are fucking animals,” she teased, slipping on her sneakers and walking outside the entryway, where she released her Absol. 

“Whoa,” Piers said, having followed behind her, releasing his Obstagoon. The Pokemon regarded each other cautiously before simultaneously grinning and running off, chasing each other. “Never seen a red Absol before. Looks cool.”

Arie grinned, happy to talk about her partner Pokemon. “I found Red in Hoenn,” she explained, meeting his icy blue eyes. “Met all of my Pokemon in Hoenn actually. They all just kinda spoke to me. I’m a bit of a night Noctowl though, so I guess I was more likely to meet them than any other types. Why do you use dark types?”

Piers blinked at her, as if he was thrown off by her question. She couldn’t make out what had caused his reaction, but he shook his head and spoke. “They’re drawn to my music fer some reason. Don’t know why, but they make it easier to follow my real passion of music, so I keep ‘em around. Obstagoon here likes to rock out on stage with me ‘n’ the band. Toxicitry too.” He looked up at the sun groggily as they stood there. “Ugh, why’s it haveta be so damn hot today? Bet yer feelin’ right at home though.”

She nodded, grinning again. “Sure am. What the hell’s taking Raihan so long anyway?” Arie was eager to be out in the wild with her Pokemon again, a usual habitat for her. Oddly enough, as she peaked into the kitchen area, the man was nowhere to be found. “Raihan! Hurry the hell up!” The short-haired woman called, annoyed that he’d made them wait.  
The other dark type trainer snickered at her impatience. “I keep forgettin’ you dunno much about Rai, or really any of us yet. He’s probably givin’ us a few moments alone now that he’s claimed you first. Waitin’ for one of us to make a move.”

“Sounds like you’re familiar with competing over girls with Raihan.”

“Maybe a little,” Piers said, moving closer to her until her back was pressed up to the wall, his body flush against hers. “Whattaya say, pet? Wanna take advantage of the time he’s giving us?” His words were a purr in her ear, his hands pressed to the wall on either side of her face. He was so close to her, his lips mere inches from hers. Arie reached a hand up and tugged on the lock of black and white hair that fell closest to her. “Think ‘M gunna have to teach you a lesson, pet,” he grumbled, gripping her hand that had frozen in the air. He placed the tip of her pointer finger in his mouth gripping the flesh between his upper and lower canines. “That’s for this mornin’,” he growled and then pulled her finger a little farther into his mouth, sucking on it. His icy blue eyes never left her lavender ones as he watched the warmth spread through her cheeks, down her neck in arousal. “’N’ that’s for just now,” he said smugly, pushing himself away from her just as Arie could hear Raihan’s footsteps approaching.

“Sorry to make you wait,” the dragon trainer grinned, looking between the two of them. “My shirt got a little stained from breakfast this morning, so I needed to change. Can’t any Pokemon trying to eat my shirt or me as a snack.” Raihan gave a knowing, smug look to Arie. “But of course, since it was my favorite shirt and all, I had to order a new one right away. Hope you two were able to pass the time somehow.”

Arie rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s get to the Wild Area.” There would be plenty of time for every dark fantasy that clearly lingered behind both men’s eyes in the evening, after they’d kept Hammerlocke safe. Although if it weren’t for the likely dangerous Pokemon to be in the area, she’d probably have decided to camp in the Wild Area for the night, escaping from the posh life of the castle for a night or two. Her Absol would have preferred it too, she thought, remembering the way her Pokemon growled at her gruffly when she finally crawled into bed after her encounter with Raihan. 

As they’d expected, the Wild Area was a bit of a mess that day, particularly near the Dynamax dens in the Dusty Bowl. Thankfully, no Dynamaxed Pokemon were mind-controlled, but several regular-sized Pokemon rushed throughout the area, springing into attack mode once they saw the three trainers arrive. There was no sandstorm today, but despite the three splitting up, there was no one to be found in the area. 

A wild, rampant Hippowdon charged towards Arie, roaring as its red eyes bored into her. She released her other Pokemon to help Absol as her partner took a forceful attack in an attempt to protect her. Her Gengar floated swiftly around the Hippowdon, appearing on different sides of the creature, causing it to look around, confused enough to take its attention away from the human woman as her Pokemon darted in with swift-moving attacks. Next to her, Pier’s Obstagoon and Toxicitry tussled with a small pack of Growlithes while Raihan flew overhead on Flygon to keep an eye out for anyone in the area and attacking from above when necessary, as well as guarding from any aerial Pokemon that may have been controlled. 

Roaring with rage, the Hippowdon stomped it’s feet and shot mud from its mouth in a semi-circle around it, in an attempt to slow or stop the Pokemon assaulting it. Each of her Pokemon got covered in the messy liquid, but were able to shake it off quickly. Arie, on the other hand, became caked in mud, brown covering practically every part of her body and clothing. This was going to be a long day. 

Arie threw the clothes she’d been wearing into the trash bin of her room at the castle before stepping into the shower. Beyond the fact that they were muddy past the point of no return from the Hippowdon flinging large heaps of mud everywhere, but the Growlithe’s claws had slashed through most of the fabric, which had left very little to the imagination, having shredded the material of her shirt up to her chest and causing a rip in the black shorts that ran up most of her thigh, leaving almost her entire side bare. Naturally, she’d caught both men staring several times throughout their walk back. Tomorrow, she’d be purchasing her own clothes from the clothing store in town. 

Which is why she wasn’t surprised to see both men, sprawled out out on her bed as she emerged in nothing but the silk robe she’d found in the closet, one that was slightly transparent, and hugged every curve of her body where she tied the straps around her slender waist. The men were taking turns with a bottle of alcohol as they lay, turning their attention to her once she reached the foot of the bed, their eyes widening as they saw her, particularly the way the material made no effect to hide any feature of her breasts. It was Piers who lazily sat up, taking in a proper eyeful of her as he took another swig of the alcohol. Raihan looked at the familiar material with a slight frown, remembering its first owner. Of course, the first owner hadn’t worn it like this, but the confusion still racked his mind. 

The strong, heady scent of the liquid was intense as he pulled her to stand between his legs, which now dangled off the side of the bed. “You better know what yer getting’ yerself into, pet,” he growled before kissing her, one hand roughly positioned on the side of her neck and the other softly over Raihan’s lips, as if to keep him from saying anything about the moment. Arie found herself surprised by the shocking sensations that raced through her body as the spiky piercing on his tongue met her tongue, making her shiver. The sensation grew even more intense as he caught her tongue, sucking on it slightly. 

His pale, slim fingers worked delicately to undo the tie in her robe, pulling the fabric apart just slightly to get a look at her, and then dropping it all the way to the floor after deciding he wanted more. Raihan watched the Gym Leader touch the dark-haired woman, the way Pier’s bit down on her lower lip, and then her pale neck making him equally as horny. But he’d had his chance already. It was time to let his friend have a taste of the woman before he jumped in. Raihan watched as Piers trailed his bites lower, leaving visible marks along the path he’d taken down her skin, until his mouth reached her nipple, swirling his pierced tongue around the most sensitive part. Arie squirmed, letting out a small moan that surprised both her and the dragon trainer. The singer smiled, applying more pressure with his lips and tongue as she squirmed. Raihan looked between the two of them, undecided about his own moves. He’d been with other men before, but never actually any of his friends. He settled on the dark-haired woman first, sliding himself off of the bed and moving to stand behind her, forcing her body into Pier’s touch further. His hands roamed over her bare ass, sliding a hand between her legs to stroke her clit, which was surprisingly wet already. Of course, he’d been half-hard since the second she walked out of the shower in that robe and was fully erect now as he pressed into her backside. Her legs and crotch were so smooth, something she’d clearly worked to retain in anticipation for tonight he realized. 

Instinct took over Raihan’s initial nervousness as he grabbed the singer’s hand, leading it down to the spot between her legs with his free hand, moving the hand that was already oh her so that he could slip one, and then two fingers inside of her. “Look at how ready she is already,” he purred as he brushed his fingers suggestively up Pier’s arms before releasing. “Whatever you’re doing, you better keep it up.”

Piers moved his lips off of Arie, whose legs squeezed tighter around Raihan’s hand, as if her body was whining about the loss of touch. “Hmmm, she needs to be punished for misbehavin’ earlier. Can’t have her gettin’ too comfortable. On your knees, pet,” he murmured, using his hand to guide her towards the floor in front of him as he unbuckled his rocker-style jeans. Arie was all too willing to sink to the ground, running her hands up his thighs and pulling down the fabric to expose him. Raihan grinned smugly as she took the other man in her mouth without command eagerly, pushing him to the back of her throat and earning a breathy moan from the other dark-type trainer. Piers tilted his head back as Arie moved her mouth up and down on him before turning his icy eyes to Raihan. A pale hand grabbed the hem of his shirt, yanking Raihan to his side. “C’mere dragon boy…you didn’t think I’d forget about you, did ya?”

Raihan shivered as Pier’s mouth met his, the piercing on his tongue meeting his own. He swirled his tongue around the metal bit, all sense of the earlier unease about doing this with a friend vanished. The two male friends had been through enough locker room talk to have a pretty good sense of what to do with the other. The dark-type male had either been incredibly lucky, or had been incredibly attentive, Raihan realized, as the other man dug his nails into his back, reigniting the burn from the scratches Arie had left. The man’s nails weren’t as long or sharp as hers had been, but they left a dull ache, a burn that set him on fire. It was something he’d admitted enjoying to the other man plenty of times in their discussion of sexual conquests, though he’d never quite expected those conversations would ever come out to play in person with the white and black-haired male.

But the Spikemuth Gym leader wasn’t the only one who’d remembered those conversations. Raihan trailed his fingers up past his neck until they tangled in the black and white hair at the nape of his pale neck, yanking roughly. It was as if the two men were battling, only this time the battle was a test of who could come out more dominant, who could use what they knew about the other to push the limits farther. A moan escaped Pier’s lips as Raihan gave the hair another tug, sinking his pointed teeth into the pale, slender neck, tongue lapping at the smooth skin. 

Arie looked up from her place on the floor to see the two men teasing each other. Fuck, did she find it hot. She quickened her pace around Pier’s cock as his hips began to meet her movements, pushing himself deeper into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around the tip as he did this, gliding around the most sensitive parts of him. “Fuck pet,” he breathed, his head thrown back letting the darker man get easier access to his neck. 

The dragon type leader grinned against Pier’s neck. He knew exactly what she was doing; she’d done it to him less than 24 hours ago. Her tongue had a strength, a boldness most women, or men for that matter, he was with didn’t have. Of course, her choice in sex partners probably was an influence on that. Raihan stepped in front of Piers, helping the dark-haired woman to her feet as he claimed her lips with his, sandwiching himself in between the two dark-type trainers. The other man took his own turn, sucking on Raihan’s neck as Arie bit his lower lip, running her nails over what spots on his back that weren’t pressed into Pier’s torso, the fabric of his shirt rubbing over the tender spots. The black and white-haired male reached a hand around to press lightly on the front of Raihan’s neck, making his breath come faster and harder as he remained lip-locked with the woman in front of him, shudders rushing over his body. He reached a hand down between her legs again, slipping his index and middle finger past her entrance while his thumb circled her clit. 

Leaving one hand on his back to steady herself, she reached a hand down to stroke his cock over his athletic shorts. The fingers inside her curled towards her stomach in a ‘come here’ motion, putting pressure against her inner walls, a sigh of pleasure escaping her lips at the sensations her body was feeling. The sight of Piers gripping his hand around Raihan’s neck, lapping at the same area only fueled her arousal. She tugged on the nearest strand of the singer’s hair, eager for whatever would next constitute as a ‘punishment’ from the man, who grinned and turned his icy blue eyes to her. “Yer a real glutton for punishment today, pet.” He growled, gently moving Raihan aside and forcefully pushing Arie down onto the bed. He removed his jacked and then his shirt, tying the fabric of the tank top around her eyes. Raihan quickly shifted so that her head lay on his groin with easy access to her breasts while Piers positioned his face at her entrance. The dragon trainer played with her nipples, occasionally leaning down to take them in his own mouth, pinching slightly with his canines. 

Arie couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped her lips as she felt a mouth- Raihan’s, she realized since there was no piercing, close around the peak of her breast while the other finally reached a tongue to her core. Piers lapped up and down her folds several times before pushing her legs apart farther and pushing his tongue into the opening, making sure to flick his tongue over her clit often enough to keep her squirming as he did. The sensations, so many at one time, were unbelievable, and she could feel herself building quickly towards a release. Her pace quickened, legs trembling as she got closer to the edge. 

Piers pulled away from her just before she found that release, using his hands to force her legs to stay apart so she couldn’t create friction between them Her lower half was at his complete mercy. “I told you pet, if you misbehave I have t’ punish you. I’ll tell ya when you get to come, got it?”

Still blindfolded, she nodded as she felt his tongue find its way back to her, this time moving solely around her clit, focusing its swirling pattern solely on her most sensitive areas. The sensation was almost painful in its pleasure, making her squirm. The other dark-type trainer chuckled darkly, putting more pressure on her legs to keep her still. “Stay still, good things come t’ those who wait,” he demanded, forcing his tongue back inside her. He alternated his movements like this, switching between fucking her with his tongue and swirling his tongue around the most sensitive part of her clit, never quire getting her acclimated to the feel so that her body couldn’t help but writhe each time he switched. Her legs felt a burning ache at being locked into their current position, trembling with the need to stretch and release the tension, but Piers kept her locked in place, relishing in the whines and whimpers coming from her throat, desperate. 

Raihan, who was incredibly pleased with his view of the scene, had begun to stroke himself, aroused by how helpless she was in her current state and the sounds she was making. And, if he was being honest, the way Piers forcefully commanded her, denying her orgasm after orgasm as her anticipation grew. Edging was another favorite of his, one he’d definitely shared with the man positioned at the other end of the woman between them. As he watched the scene unfold, he thought about how it would feel to fuck himself, edge himself in one of their asses while the other pleasured his partner until his release was so intense he’d lost all sense of control. He’d quickly lost count how many times Raihan had brought her to the edge only to stop, though he’d have to guess the number was somewhere over twenty times, by the time Piers removed himself from her core, still not letting her achieve release. Instead, he flipped her around so that she lay on her stomach, then propping her up on her hands and knees so her rear was positioned at the perfect height to his groin. He ran a gentle hand over her smooth, slim backside before placing a brief smack to her ass. The dragon trainer adjusted his position, quickly kissing Arie slightly, twisting his tongue with hers for a short moment before kneeling so that his own groin was positioned at her mouth. 

Once again, Arie was more than eager to take the member into her mouth, letting Raihan fill her mouth. He groaned. “Fuck your mouth feels so fucking good.” He gripped a hand in her short hair. “I love what you do with your tongue, all that practice from the women you fuck? Fuck,” Her mouth felt even better as her stifled groan vibrated around his mouth when Piers entered her from behind. Her body shifted forward as he did, taking him in deeper, her body now at the mercy of Pier’s thrusts. The singer was unrelentless against her, moving his hips at a rapid pace. His hands dug into her waist and she knew the imprints of his slender, bony fingers would leave bruises that would appear in the morning. 

“You really never do shut up, do ya Rai?” the other male asked as he pounded into Arie, giving his friend a dark smile. “Makes me wanna silence that pretty mouth of yers.” Suddenly, he pulled out of her, stalking towards the dragon trainer as he moved Raihan to lean over him, grasping his dreadlocks and bringing his mouth down over his erection. “Thas’ better,” Piers hummed, before turning his attention back to Arie as Raihan continued to move his mouth up and down. “You’ve done such a good job of being patient, pet, I think you’ve earned a reward. I want you to sit on my face so I can fuck you with my tongue ‘til you come.”

Arie shivered, excited at the promise as she positioned herself, kneeling over his face and using the bedframe to steady herself as his tongue and piercing met her center herself yet again. His tongue had more mobility from this position, exploring her clit thoroughly first, the spiky edges of his piercing rough against her and sending shivers throughout her body. Her knuckles were ghost-white as she gripped the bedframe, biting her teeth down on her lower lip as she stifled the moans that threatened to escape her. She usually was much quieter than this, but something about what these two men could do to her sent her to new heights of pleasure she’d never reached before. Her entire body trembled as his tongue found its way inside her, moving in and out. When she finally came around his tongue, Arie was anything but quiet, moaning wordless cries into the otherwise quiet night. Waves of pleasure rippled through her as she finally reached the orgasm she’d been denied so many times from the man who’d finally given it to her. As her body calmed, Arie sank down onto the mattress, running her fingers over the smooth sides of Pier’s neck, tracing her fingernails gently up and down the skin there as Raihan continued to suck on Piers.

Raihan had watched the entire sexy ordeal, watching Arie’s muscles tighten and then release from behind, her enticing moans as she came. It had only made him work faster, trying to mimic some of the movements Arie had made on both of them as he did, grazing his teeth slightly over Pier’s shaft. The movement was the other man’s undoing, Piers groaning as he spilled into Raihan’s mouth, who swallowed and moved to kiss the singer. Pier’s mouth tasted of the sweet, heady scent he’d buried his own face in this morning. “My turn,” he grinned, flipping the black and white-haired man over so that he was positioned similarly to how Arie had been situated just moments ago. He retrieved a bottle of lube from the shorts he’d came to the room in, preparing both himself and Piers. Of course, he’d probably have preferred to sink himself into this new woman, but she looked far too spent and the other male looked all too eager, already rocking his rear against Raihan’s front. Another secret the dragon trainer had learned form their locker room talk: Piers enjoyed being taken control of just as much as he enjoyed taking control. 

And Raihan took that control, easing in slowly at first and quickly picking up the pace. Piers was so tight around him already, and the way he squeezed his thighs together as he moaned wasn’t helping either. The breathy, higher pitched yaw of Pier’s moans was surprising, and electrifying. It was intoxicating to see the normally composed and angsty dark-type trainer melt to pieces under his touch. He met Arie’s eyes, filled with heat once again as he thrust into the other man. “Enjoying the show, Princess?” he asked with a grin, and then recoiled at the sound of the nickname for his former girlfriend. 

She seemed to dislike the nickname as much as he had, scowling at him as she reached a hand down to rub herself as if to say, ‘I’m no Princess.’ Her point was well taken, finishing herself in short time, despite how exhausted those lower lips of hers must have been, he realized. There certainly were no similarities between her and Light, that was one thing he was sure of. She was exactly what he needed to distract himself from the little pain that lingered of his former burn. The collective moans of both dark-type trainers were what sent him over the edge, spilling his seed into Piers and collapsing onto the bed, all three trainer’s limbs intertwined. Raihan reached out to kiss both of his partners tenderly before slipping into the bathroom to grab a towel for each other them and water. He, at least, was parched after what they’d just done. Piers had grabbed the remote, turning on whatever Pokemon match was on the tv. Arie leaned against him, not in a romantic or cuddly way, just enough to support her weight. Grinning, Raihan plopped down next to her, joining in the post-sex glow. Normally he wasn’t one to spend time with his sexual partners after the fact, but something about this was different. Tonight felt more like three friends hanging out, as casually as if they’d just spent their time ordering pizza and drinking beer. Except in this case, the three friends were comfortable enough to hang out naked, occasionally kissing and touching each other. It was yet another new experience for him.

It was a new experience for Arie, too, who hadn’t slept with anyone she considered a friend in quite some time, and even then hadn’t spent time with them so soon after the fact. If she’d had her way, she’d have kicked both men out and fallen right to sleep. But Piers had surprised her, opting to continue their time together rather than leaving. He’d slung an arm around her casually, his pale fingers tracing up and down her arm, yet his face remained glued to the TV, adamant to her otherwise. She wondered if the singer was lonely beyond his stay at Hammerlocke castle. From what she remembered, Spikemuth was fairly isolated beyond its normal inhabitants and his younger sister, who’d taken over as the Spikemuth Gym Leader, had been incredibly busy in the past few months. So, she decided, the contact didn’t have to mean anything other than aftercare for a lonely companion that was likely going to become an eventual friend. Clearly, it was all the man himself viewed it as. Besides, with both Raihan and Piers snuggled up on either side of her, Arie couldn’t help but admit it was nice. It was especially nice when the dragon trainer brought over water and snacks to refuel after what they’d just done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet again, I've added elements to a relationship I'd never actually expected for Raihan, though I think this one will be good for him. See you next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was probably my longest chapter yet, so hopefully the wait was worth it, especially since we're getting into some interesting character dynamics between our Hammerlocke trio.

The three of them carried on like that for the next several weeks, battling dangers in the Wild Area, unsuccessful at finding whoever was operating the devices, by day and having sex by night. Most of the time, all three trainers partook in the activity, exploring the unique friendship, but there were a few days after particularly tough battles that Arie got to have one of the men to herself, and of course some nights where she took a break from the physical activity. Though, the two men never spent the evening just the two of them, despite how comfortable they’d gotten exploring each other’s bodies when they were with her. By the end of those first few weeks, she had the men and their needs down fairly competently. 

Raihan was pretty straightforward. He wanted it, and he wanted to be the one in charge. He preferred to go one long round for himself but bring her to orgasm several times over. The dragon tamer kept going until she told him she’d had enough. He was fantastic about making sure his partners were taken care of after they’d all collapsed from exhaustion, but was also prompt about it, dipping out as soon as it was acceptable, though he sometimes did stick around if they decided to watch a Pokemon match. When they weren’t actively having sex, he was more than comfortable at covering their bodies in kisses and touches, ranging from sweet to downright salacious. Despite his constant touches and PDA, it was clear that there was still something he was dealing with. Something that would still cross his mind in the moment that’d pause briefly to shake off. Of course, she never pushed him. It was obvious he was still healing from his past, something she couldn’t blame him for in the slightest. She’d avoided relationships and opening up since she’d left Hoenn for the same reason; she was running from her own past.

Piers, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be hiding anything. His body language had made it perfectly clear he preferred, for the most part, to be physically close to his partners after the fact, scrolling through his phone, putting something on the television, or even listening to music. Most of the time he didn’t talk, but occasionally he and Arie got lost in conversation about Pokemon, especially Pokemon from Hoenn and her travels. These conversations usually happened whenever she was alone with Piers, or after Raihan had retreated to his own room, though they were rare. On the rare occasion, Piers left right away for his own room, exhausted enough to want immediate sleep. She found herself relating to the other dark-type trainer, someone who typically preferred to be alone, but occasionally sought the comfort of others. Although he did it in different ways and more frequently, Arie was really no different. Whenever she felt lonely on the island, she’d come into the main continent in Galar and sought out one-night stands or visited the dojo to spend time with Klara and Mustard. Piers was slightly less forward in their everyday routine, though he occasionally stopped her in her tracks to nibble her earlobe or stick his tongue down her throat. 

That day in the Wild Area, as Raihan flew above the Dusty Bowl, he was feeling particularly agitated. They’d been battling these mind-controlled Pokemon for damn near a month and hadn’t once spotted anyone actually controlling the devices. Today, they’d gotten out in the Wild earlier than usual, hoping to spot whoever had grown accustom to their almost perfect schedule. Flygon soared over the region, searching for any sign of another person, swooping in and out of the trees while Piers and Arie took on the Dynamaxed Reinculus. Their Pokemon had an advantage that would make them better suited for the fight anyway. 

In the Stony Wilderness, hiding behind a large rock was where Raihan found him, a man who wore a black hoodie, similar to the one the girl had been wearing in the picture Leon had sent to the Gym Leader group chat. The man was clearly running from the dragon trainer, though ducking behind a rock wouldn’t do much good against an airborne assault. Raihan swooped in, Flygon landing in front of the man, trapping him between the rock and the Gym Leader. The darker-skinned man made quick work of tackling the hooded figure, tying his hands behind his back as he grabbed the device. Unlike his rival, he managed to keep this device intact, not a single part of its machinery appeared harmed. That would come in handy later for the professor’s research. “You’re coming with me,” he growled to the man, strapping him onto Flygon as he tied a piece of fabric around his hostage’s mouth. Light and Leon may have been above being rough with these assholes, but Raihan certainly wasn’t, and he didn’t think either of his companions would be entirely against dirtier tactics of getting information. 

Naturally, both companions had made swift work of the Reinculus, their battle ending quite quickly without the added complications of the device controlling additional Pokemon in the process. In fact, the trainers had already had time to heal up their Pokemon and move on to other activities, like making out on one of the large, flat rocks. They snapped immediately to attention when they saw his captive and the device that rest in his hands. “Nice work!” Arie said, pulling his head down from on Flygon to reward him with a deep kiss. “What’re we gunna do with him?”

“We’re gunna get someone to get this device over to Wedgehurst and then we’re gunna throw this guy in the dungeon of the castle until he tells us what this Colress asshole is trying to do here.”

Arie frowned, hesitating. Was Raihan planning to torture this man? That wasn’t necessarily something she was comfortable with being a part of. “This device is the reason my best friend is having a tough time right now, having nightmares about his own Pokemon turning on him after Rose- the former Chairman of Galar, used this device on it. I will get to the bottom of this no matter what it takes.”

“Easy,” Piers warned, giving the dragon trainer a wary look. “Le’s get him back an’ see what he’ll tell us without torture. Don’t wanna see you go down a dark path mate.”

Raihan glowered at the other man, but agreed. Neither of the dark-type trainers had a flying-type Pokemon to fly back to Hammerlocke, so the three trekked on foot with Duraludon and Flygon keeping a close eye on their captive as they walked. The Gym Leader led the other three straight to the dungeon once they entered the castle, locking the man into the first cell. “Don’t suppose you’ll just tell us what your boss is up to?” He asked the hooded man right away, sitting himself on the floor across from the cell.  
The hooded man laughed. “What’s the point? You lot here in Galar are too weak to understand what we’re trying to do anyway. You live such comfy, poshy lives with your Pokemon, only ever using them for transportation and social media clout. Even you strongest of trainers only Dynamax every so often, despite how much raw energy you have here in Galar. What a waste. You call yourself the greatest region, but you’re nothing but a joke.”

Half grinning, Raihan turned a glare towards the man behind bars. “What’s a joke,” he snarled. “Is you giving away your purpose for using these devices simply because you want to insult my pride. Interested in Dynamax as a source of power? Get in line. We squashed the last guy who tried. There’s too many of us, and we’ll make sure you don’t get anywhere.”

The man laughed. “Underestimating Colress is only going to hurt you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With that, he laid back on the floor, crossing his arms over his eyes, ignoring anything else either of the three trainers had to say. A million ideas ran through his mind, but Arie shook her head, placing a hand on his arm and gesturing towards the upstairs. Piers stayed behind, keeping an eye on the hooded man. The dark-type trainer, at least, was at no risk of losing his cool.

Once they were upstairs, Arie summoned Raihan’s Rotom phone, handing it to him. “Call Leon and tell him about the device. I’ll meet you in your room when you’re done.” If removing him from the situation wouldn’t work to calm him down, maybe the distraction of sex would.

Raihan’s posture remained tight with rage, but he nodded stiffly, already working on dialing. 

“Hey Rai, what’s going on?” Leon said in a muffled voice. It was still fairly early Raihan realized, only 9 a.m., though Leon was usually long awake and running around by now. Which meant the purple-haired male had likely either ran into trouble sleeping yet again, or was enjoying in a little morning physical activity with Light. The slight huff in his voice didn’t give any indication either way; Raihan could have pulled him from a nightmare. 

“We got one,” Raihan answered, staring down at the device in his hands. “Didn’t break it either. We’ve got the person using the device locked up in the dungeon here. Won’t tell us much, but he talked a little bit about energy and Dynamax. Asshole confirmed Colress was his boss though, prattling on about how it was going to hurt us to underestimate this prick. What are we gunna do with the device?”

“We’ll come get it and bring it to the Professor. Magnolia wasn’t able to get anything out of the broken device and we’ve been pretty cooped up here in Wyndon, minus the occasional Dynamax near the stadium. Otherwise it’s been a lot of staying in and waiting.”

“Oh yeah, waiting around and having sex with Light must be a real drag,” Raihan said sarcastically, and then winced. He hadn’t meant to be so harsh about it, but the events of today had him wired. In not the best of ways. But at the same time, it wasn’t as if Leon’s situation was any different from the rest of theirs. Each one of the leaders in Galar was stuck in practically one spot, keeping their designated area safe. It just so happened that the Wild Area was the spot that had the most danger involved compared to some of the other regions in Galar, which was what they’d initially expected. It was why they’d decided on having six of the strongest trainers focus on protecting that area to begin with. It was where most of the Dynamaxing could occur. Of course, they’d expected Wyndon to have a bit more danger after the recent attacks against Light and Leon, and to be fair, Wyndon had witnessed quite a few more attacks than the rest of the cities in Galar. But that didn’t mean the rest of them weren’t feeling just as cabin-feverish as the Champion and former Champion. Raihan sighed. Leon did have a bit more reason to be itching to get out of Wyndon. Ever since his own Pokemon had hypnotized him right in his own home, at his own tower, Leon had traveled across the region more than usual, eager to get out of the area. No more than two days had gone by between his trips, yet he’d spent the last three weeks cooped up in the same place that clearly caused him pain. “Lee, I’m-“ 

“We’ll see you in a few hours Rai,” the former Champion snapped, hanging up on him. It was clear his best friend was struggling himself, trying not to say anything he’d regret towards the dragon trainer. If it weren’t for how much it would hurt the Pokemon inside his phone, Raihan would have thrown the device across the room. Instead, he took a deep breath and sauntered towards his own room, where he knew Arie would be waiting. He left the device on the kitchen counter as he walked, wanting the events of today to be far from his mind for what he was about to do. 

Arie was already waiting for him, stark naked as she sat on his bed. Normally, he’d take his time, admiring the sexy curves of her body and the way she was so ready for him. But today wasn’t normal. Instead, Raihan grabbed for her immediately, pushing her down onto the bed beneath him as he shed his clothes. He wasted no time sinking himself into her, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he moaned. Where he normally praised and showered her with dirty compliments, he now uttered primal, wordless moans as he thrusted into her wildly. His normal confident self that relied on prior experience and an aura of cockiness in bed was nowhere to be found, instead giving in to every wild, primal instinct. His rhythm was erratic, and his hands gripped her sides harder than normal. Raihan knew that no matter how hard he thrusted into her, how harshly he found his release, he couldn’t run from the pain and anger of the things he’d seen and said today, yet it still brought him comfort as he did. 

Arie could tell something was clearly off with the dragon trainer, though she’d known things would be slightly off from their normal after their encounter with the hooded man in the dungeon. Yet, it was clear that something from his phone call with his friend had set him off, brought some pain to the surface. She didn’t mind the difference in his style, even if the way he clung to her was far more desperate, needy than normal. Despite herself, she found her own heart racing as their bodies intertwined, recognizing how intimate this moment would be if they had a connection that went beyond friendship and the occasional meeting of their hips. She wondered briefly what was running through his mind as he pounded into her, moaning wordlessly into her ear, lost in all sense and touch. The dark-type trainer ran her fingers along the nape of his neck, playing with the hair of his dreads that the tips of her fingers could reach, which only fueled his moans more. Her touch was gentler today, not digging her fingers into his back like normal, but instead pressing his body closer into her own, which seemed to be the sensation he was looking for. 

Something about the way she pulled him closer, so tight against her and her so tight around him, seemed to do the trick. The pain of his earlier conversation eased, though he still felt remorse over his harsh comment. The anger at what Colress and his minions were doing still remained, but the dark, borderline murderous rage had subsided, melting into a more familiar urge: lust. His pace slowed, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, still holding her close as he moved in her. “Arie…” he breathed in her ear as he succumbed to the pleasure, spilling himself in her and dropping to her side, breathless. His release was intense, drawing quiet moans from him, breathing her name and wordless cries as he calmed his body. Raihan wondered to himself why his body, his lungs felt so overwhelmed despite the fact that this was by a far a faster and less athletic sexual encounter than he was used to as he rubbed a finger along her folds. He took his time with the movement, savoring the way her mouth fell open and her head fell back against the pillow as he did, now that he’d come to his senses a little more. The short-haired woman really was incredible, one of the most beautiful he’d ever encountered, and certainly the most sexually adventurous. Despite the fact that he dipped out of the room pretty quickly at night, he still was spending a considerable amount of time with her (and Piers) afterwards, and they’d become something of friends over the past few weeks. He grinned as her release slowly built beneath his fingers, her body trembling at his touch. A small whimper escaped her own lips as she finally found the release, and she was equally as breathless as he had been. 

“Thanks,” Raihan said, cupping her chin with his fingers and kissing her. They stayed like that for a moment, legs intertwined as his lips locked with hers. 

“Any time,” Arie smirked back once she’d broken away. “What the hell happened back there?”

Raihan ran a hand through his dreads, sheepish. “With that guy we found, or the call?”

“Both.”

“I hate what those pricks did to Lee. Even if things are a little weird between us at times, he’s still my best friend. The whole event almost killed Light too. My two best friends were put in danger because of it, and now the rest of Galar’s put in danger. Lee… he’s still a little shaken up by his own Pokemon being used against him, even six months later. He takes failing to protect everyone a little harder than most people, but still. Watching your own Pokemon look at you the way those Pokemon we face every day do? Hypnotizing you to practically destroy of Galar? I don’t want any trainer to ever have to go through what he went through. Not if I can fucking help it. It just kinda got to me today. We’ve made no progress in almost three weeks, and I want this guy to answer us. I was willing to do whatever it took to get him to spill. As for Lee, I said a few things I probably shouldn’t have. I’ve got to stop being salty about him and Light eventually, it’s not fair to keep giving him shit. I was the one who fucked up and hurt her. There was always something between those two, but it was my fault for pushing them together by pushing her away. And it’s not like I sit around pining over her or some shit anymore, I’m more just sick of them tiptoeing around it like I’m going to break at any moment.”

“Is that what the journal was for?” Arie asked. “Your way of opening up to her?”

He nodded. “After everything happened, she stayed on the island for a bit to figure out who she wanted. I promised I’d start opening up to her. Figured this was a good place to start. Was gunna show it to her after she got back, but after what happened at the Battle Tower, it didn’t feel right. She chose him, and they had enough to deal with after how screwed up that whole thing made Lee. Kept writing in it for a bit after, p because I hoped she’d realize she made the wrong choice and because I needed to deal with how much it hurt somehow. Can’t exactly talk to your best friends about how much you’re hurting from a breakup when they’re the one who broke up with you to begin with.”

Arie nodded. That much, she understood all too well. She’d lost her own best friend in much the same way. “At least they’re still making an effort to be your friend,” she said both wistfully and hopeful for the dragon trainer. 

“What about you?” Raihan said, noting the way her face had scrunched up in pain at her last sentence. “You’re clearly not just avoiding relationships because you get bored; you’ve had sex with me or Piers damn near every night since you got here. What are you running from?”

She sighed. Arie had been hoping he wouldn’t turn the conversation on her, but it was only fair if she took her turn sharing similar information about herself. “I was…engaged once,” she admitted. “Wally- my ex- fiancé- was my best friend. We grew up challenging the gyms together and were rivals just like you and Leon. He was about a year or two younger than me, but always said he looked up to me, striving to better himself to be a worthy rival. Of course, we were just kids at the time, no older than fourteen or fifteen. I became Hoenn’s champion at age sixteen and he asked me out the day he got his driver’s license and took us to Lilycove City for our first date when he turned seventeen. We were together for about two years when he proposed. I said yes, but after about a year and a half I realized I didn’t want to stay in Hoenn, or keep being the Champion anymore. I just wanted to get out, yknow? To see more of the world, more than just Hoenn. But Wally…he was more than content staying where he was. So when I derailed his entire life plan for us that he’d planned out in Hoenn, it pretty much ruined our friendship too. I stayed in Hoenn for a few years after that, training and preparing myself to be out on my own, but we quickly fell out of contact. I made some pretty poor choices about how I handled the rest of my time in the region. Even though I mostly secluded myself at the fighting gym, training with the fighting-type Gym Leader, Brawley and my friend, and fire-type Gym Leader Flannery, my...indiscretions weren't exactly well-kept secrets. Any time I did coincidentally run into him after that, he looked so miserable I just... I can’t…I can’t put someone through that again. I don’t know where I want to settle down, or if I’ll ever settle down. Living out in the wild with Absol is pretty nice and we get along just fine by ourselves.”

Raihan smiled sadly in return. He understood her experiences all too well, not wanting to open up to someone just to have to tell them goodbye, or to lose them in some way, though he was fairly convinced it wouldn’t be hard to find some trainer willing to travel the globe with her. In her early twenties, this woman had accomplished a crazy amount between traveling three regions even after having been champion in one of them for several years. She was spunky, independent, and certainly a wildcard enough in bed to make at least some man or woman want to travel to the ends of the Pokemon world with her. The Gym Leader had been offered to take up the Gym Challenge in several regions but had always declined out of his goal to beat Leon. Technically, he had beaten Leon in the Galarian Stars Tournament, and their rivalry was on enough of a hiatus that he wondered for a moment what his life would look like, traveling to other regions and taking on the Gym Leaders, fending for themselves in the wild as she did, having sex under the starlight in their small, shared tent…

He shook off the idea, pulling his arms from around her waist and leaving the bed, collecting their clothes on his way to grab them some water. Even if they weren’t in the middle of a crisis, it wasn’t like he could suddenly leave Galar, and with a girl he wasn’t even romantically involved with, no less, just to take up a Gym Challenge. Besides that, it was entirely possible she wouldn’t even want him as her traveling companion, seeing as she’d just said most of her travels were alone. “Tell me more about Hoenn,” he said as he returned, sitting more platonically next to her, handing her a glass of water. Thankfully, the shift in positions didn’t seem to bother her as she sipped, shrugging her clothes on. She’d had the chance to buy her own clothes in Hammerlocke since those first two nights, and was back to wearing her usual simple, darkly colored ensemble. 

“Hoenn is…very different from Galar. It’s a little more like the Isle of Armor, but still a little more traditional. The population here seems to be a lot younger, more vibrant than in Hoenn. Everyone in Hoenn is pretty relaxed, except for maybe in Mauville and Lilycove city, but even then, it’s nothing compared to Wyndon and Hammerlocke. You all are crazy. Gym Leaders and the Elite Four aren’t really as popular, or widely publicized as you are here. There’s not some expectation that everyone who becomes a trainer takes on a Gym Challenge- it’s more something that only really dedicated trainers do. Though we had a lot more criminals that you guys do here somehow. We had a couple of widespread gangs that thought the way to rule the world was to either snuff out all the land, or snuff out all the water to have one big, unified continent that was ideal for people and Pokemon by awakening the legendary ground and water Pokemon.”

Raihan’s eyes widened. “Did they do it?”

She nodded. “They did. I was about fifteen at the time when it happened. I wasn’t supposed to get caught up in the middle of it. But I remembered a legend I’d read about when I was younger and flew to the Sky Tower to see if it was true. There was some legend about a third legendary Pokemon, one that had supposedly stopped the fighting of the two creatures when something similar happened long ago. But by the time I remembered it, Steven and Wallace, the Champion and the strongest Gym Leader- who’s actually a lot like you in some ways- had left Sootopolis. So I flew over there to see if it was true and met Rayquaza. You would have loved it. Rayquaza is a legendary dragon. I’ll show you a picture later.” Preferrably one of the headlines that didn’t show her at the young age. “Anyway, I was able to get it to come and help us out, after having to prove my strength to it of course. Let me tell you, that was the one and only time I will ever fly straight on the back of a Pokemon again. We didn’t have flying taxis in Hoenn; everyone either biked, rode around on their Pokemon, or flew on their Pokemon to get wherever they wanted to go if they didn’t have a car. That Pokemon was fast and it was a long ride. Pretty sure I threw up at least three times during the ride and I’m shocked it didn’t just drop me into the ocean.” Both trainers laughed. “Thankfully it saved the day. For the most part, the leaders of Team Aqua and Team Magma went away, realizing they’d been in over their heads. But a few of the radical followers caused some trouble every now and again.”

“Tell me more,” Raihan said, fascinated as he realized he’d shifted unintentionally back to a close position to the Hoennite, their arms brushing against each other. At roughly the same age he was, she had far more interesting tales than he likely would in a lifetime. 

Arie thought for a moment. “There’s a couple of really cool towns. One has a hot spring connected to a Pokemon center that a lot of people travel all around the region to take a soak in. Not anything historical like your Heroe’s Bath in Circhester, but said to be really relaxing. There’s also an ashy mountain you can take a ski lift up to and slide down. There’s a man who’s made some really cool stuff out of ash, like these gorgeous glass Pokeflutes that have been used in some beautiful concerts. If I ever go back, I’ll have to pick one up for Piers. Maybe a little too soft for his taste, but it seems like he’s got an appreciation for any musical instrument. There’s also an entire town that’s basically in the treetops. Some things like the Pokemon Center and the Gym are on the ground level, but most of them are in the trees. The area next to it is where I met my Absol actually, really harsh and rainy conditions that most people don’t like, so it works pretty well for them there. If you can get past the rain though, there’s some parts nearby that are gorgeous and partly cloudy, puddle residues that reflect the clouds in the sky. Absol and I would train in the wetlands for hours on end, and walk into whatever hotel we were staying at absolutely soaked to the bone. We made plenty of receptionists pissed. Sootopolis City is also pretty cool too, you have to swim with a Pokemon underwater or take a submarine to even get past the rocks surrounding the city. Only people that are really into swimming or people taking up the Gym Challenge really visit there, though the housing and architecture are beautiful. The whole city is built around a small pool of water that leads into the city. Wallace is a really cool Gym Leader too, water type. Although he’s probably the closest thing to a celebrity like you guys here in Galar. He’s pretty popular in the region, also doing Pokemon Contests with his Pokemon on occasion.”

“Pokemon contests?” Raihan asked, wrapping an arm around her as she spoke. To hell with his personal boundaries. 

“They’re…like beauty pageants for Pokemon. Caught on in Sinnoh I think, but most places prefer to focus on battles than showing off. Thankfully Hoenn doesn’t do contests that really involve dressing Pokemon up, but I have seen some pretty cool contests, ones that Wally took me too. He did a few with his Gardevoir, though his Gardevoir is far more elegant than any of my Pokemon by far. Saw quite a few Pokemon that were different than normal color, like my Absol. But Red didn’t want to do contests any more than I wanted to, so we just watched whenever Wally was participating or wanted to go out.” Arie smiled wistfully. Despite having left Hoenn, cheering on Wally and Gardevoir was definitely a fond memory.  
“Do you miss him?” Raihan asked curiously, looking into her lavender eyes. 

“I miss our friendship, more than anything,” she replied honestly, meeting his cerulean gaze. “He was my best friend, my rival. And I hate how much I hurt him. But…I also don’t miss Hoenn. Not one bit. I needed to get out, especially after being Champion for a few years, it just wasn’t enough for me to stay put like that.”

“Think you’ll ever go back?”

She thought for another moment. “I’m not sure,” was her honest answer. “Definitely not for a long time. I mean, of course I’ll go visit my parents, but nothing more permanent than that for awhile. Hell, I’m not even sure how long I plan to stay here in Galar. It could be as soon as we get this stuff under control, or it could be years.”

“So if it’s not just the traveling you’re after, what is it you’re hoping to find away from Hoenn?” This woman became more interesting by the second, a serious of interesting puzzles that never failed to leave him with more questions than he started with. 

“Not sure,” she answered and then leaned in to close the short distance that had been between their lips. Arie, too, hadn’t realized how close they’d gotten as she recounted her stories from Hoenn, and decided to use it to her advantage, distracting him from the barrage of questions about her past, and future. In truth, she wasn’t sure what she was looking for exactly, other than she knew it wasn’t in Hoenn. His hands found their way to her hair, snaking through the short, black strands, pulling her body on top of his. Neither trainer necessarily wanted the kiss to go further, content with just leaving it as two friends making out. This was the kind of friendship Raihan could get used to, something that had seemingly low stakes yet high reward. He certainly felt rewarded when her tongue danced around his, her soft yet firm lips meeting his every movement, ranging from slow and relaxed to rough and passionate. Arie was happy her plan had worked; Raihan had stopped asking her questions about Hoenn in favor of kissing her, his mouth otherwise preoccupied. 

Neither trainer was sure how much time had passed when a knock sounded on his door. “Come in,” Raihan called as Arie climbed off of him, moving to sit on the couch she’d sat down on that first evening they’d slept together. Light and Leon entered the room, neither training looking abundantly surprised by the dark type trainer’s presence in his room, but now wasn’t the time to question or care about it. 

“Where’s the device?” Leon asked, getting right to the point. It was clear he’d calmed down from Raihan’s earlier comment, but that didn’t mean the two trainers were okay yet.

“It’s in the kitchen,” Raihan answered, keeping his own voice cool, despite the regret and annoyance that flowed through him, two extremely conflicting emotions about the situation. 

The four of them walked towards the counter he’d set the device on. Raihan remembered vividly the way he’d slammed the piece of technology down on the surface, angry with himself and the world before he’d sauntered off to his room, yet as he searched the kitchen now, the device was nowhere to be found. “Son of a bitch,” he swore, looking around frantically. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arie dart towards the direction of the dungeon, where Piers had been keeping guard of the captive. She emerged moments later supporting the weight of a clearly half-conscious former Gym Leader, who loosely held a dark hoodie. 

“Raihan, what the hell happened?” Leon growled, turning to glare at him. 

“The asshole hit me,” Piers muttered, holding out the sweatshirt. “Tried t’ stop him, but his Pokemon knocked me over the head b’fore I could get out Obstagoon. Got his jacket though.”

Light grabbed the shirt. “I’ll try to have Arcanine track the scent,” she said, running towards the entrace. 

“I’ll have Absol help,” Arie said, running after her. “You guys take care of Piers and keep searching around here.” Light’s Arcanine was already out of its Pokeball, sniffing the fabric when she and Absol arrived outside, her dark-type ready to help out. Light’s heart was racing as she positioned herself on her magnificent fire-type, ready to ride with the Pokemon. They needed to find this device if they wanted to help the professor make any headway on learning about what this device was and why they wanted to use it. Arcanine snapped to attention, having caught the sent and she threw the hoodie to Arie just before her Pokemon took off, bounding towards where it thought the scent was. Relief flooded her senses when she noticed Arie and Absol running in the same direction as them not long after. Light hadn’t had the chance to do much training on tracking with the fire-type, though it certainly had some skills from living in the wild by itself for however long before their meeting. Still, it was refreshing to know that they were likely on the right track. Doubt clouded her once more when Absol howled to her Pokemon, who barked back a reply. The white and red Pokemon made a sharp right into the back alley while Arcanine prodded on down the street. Several people looked at them in shock as they bounded past the other people. Arcanine’s confidence, though, didn’t seem to waiver as it continued straight ahead. It was only when the Pokemon met in the middle at the intersection between the alley Absol had gone down and the main street, suddenly surrounding a man who searched around him for an escape, did Light realized the Pokemon had worked together to cut him off. “Great job buddy,” she whispered to her Pokemon, patting it on the head quickly before hopping off and tackling the man fishing her escape rope out of her bag for the second time that month to restrain his arms. She worked together with Arie to hoist the man onto Arcanine before climbing on themselves, positioning so that he was stuck between the two women, unable to escape. 

“Guess we make a pretty good team,” Arie smirked, searching his Pockets and retrieving the device yet again. She handed it to the Champion, who tucked it safely into her bag before Arcanine started walking slowly back towards the castle. It was clear this man had only escaped very recently, having not gotten far from the castle. Absol prodded behind them, keeping an eye out for any other dangers nearby and making sure their captive didn’t somehow escape. Though, anyone’s fate would likely be far worse at the mercy of Absol’s claws than the ropes of the two trainers, something that the man clearly recognized as it eyed the Pokemon trailing behind them. 

Light smiled. “I guess so. Maybe someday we’ll have to take on Leon and Raihan with these two guys. Looks like they work together pretty well. Though, I’d love to take you on, champ to champ and all too once this is all over.”

It was Arie’s turn to grin. “You’re on,” she said, equally excited for the future challenge. It had been awhile since she’d had a truly tough Pokemon battle. She usually trained with Klara, who was slightly novice by comparison. She hadn’t fought anyone considered to be a champion in a long time, though of course this battle would be private, not for any purposes of claiming a title. The idea excited her, a strong battle, which was something she’d sought out for at the beginning of her career as a Pokemon trainer, without the pressure of claiming a title or recognition. This was exactly the type of thing she’d been craving in her time in the wild, and now she had the promise of two exciting matches. 

After Leon and Raihan had helped shuffle Piers to his bedroom, Leon turned to the dragon trainer once they were far enough out of earshot to not disturb the man. “What in the name of Arceus is going on with you?” he asked, his tone angrier than he meant to, but Raihan had messed up big time today, both in the way he’d talked to his best friend and in letting the device out of his sight. 

Despite knowing he’d messed up and feeling remorse about what he said, Raihan went on the defensive. “You’re not perfect either man, wasn’t your girl the one who smashed the first device? We locked this guy up and Piers was watching him. Look, I didn’t think this guy had any chance of getting out like he did. I wouldn’t have left that asshole alone if I did.” Why did it have to feel like every situation he found himself in, he was messing up only for Leon to swoop in and do it better, or fix it. Yet it seemed like Leon was often playing a role in making those messes to begin with lately, or at least having a hand in them. 

“You think I don’t know that? Do you really think Light hasn’t beat herself up constantly over tackling that girl? That I haven’t racked my brain trying to think of what I could have done to keep it from getting broken, or preventing this mess from happening in the first place? Come on, you know me better than that. Why did you leave him alone in the first place?”

“I…” Raihan didn’t know how to answer that without sounding ridiculous. How was he supposed to tell his best friend that he’d gone into a blind, angry rage of wanting to get revenge for all the pain that had been caused by the device to Light, Leon and even himself? Leon didn’t generally have a problem with his temper the way Raihan did; would he even understand the feeling? “I just needed to step away for a minute. Look, this shit has all of us on edge. I’m sorry I messed up. And I’m sorry about what I said to you. Really. It was uncalled for, and I know that being stuck in Wyndon is about more than just cabin fever, and I know this hasn’t been easy for you more than most people.” He sighed. “Guess it’s just kinda getting to me, the few people I do care about in constant danger and everyone in Galar at risk of getting hurt. And not being able to do a damn thing about it.”

Leon ran a hand through his purple hair, sighing. “Look I get it, but you’ve got to pull yourself together. This isn’t easy for any of us, and we can’t afford to slip up right now, especially not if one of those devices could end up in the hands of someone who accidentally uses it without knowing what it does. We need to keep people safe and stop putting the people in Galar at risk.” Leon wasn’t sure who his comment was more directed towards: himself, or Raihan as he thought of the events of the Darkest Day and the dangers that Rose had posed to the nation yet again eight months ago. He’d failed to prevent those things from occurring, only stopping them after things had already gotten bad. Even then, he’d needed help every time. Things were bad now, but Leon was going to do everything in his power to keep them from getting worse.

Thankfully, Raihan seemed to understand, nodding at the purple-haired male in agreement. He understood the weight the former Champion and current Chairman of Galar held on his shoulders, one that Raihan had been thankful he’d never needed to carry himself. Of course, he’d wanted to beat Leon and claim the champion title for himself, but even then, it had been more about beating his rival by the end of it all than it was claiming the glory of the position. He had plenty of fans as a Gym Leader and was more than happy in his role of Guardian of Hammerlocke’s Vault. At any time, he could walk into the vault and be immersed in the incredible history of Galar and the artifacts that had been preserved throughout time. It was both something he’d miss incredibly, but also fueled his desire to explore other regions and learn their rich history. He was about to make an attempt to say something comforting to his best friend when he heard several pairs of footsteps on their way inside. Light ran towards Leon, grinning as she launched herself into his arms. “We got it!” she said, retrieving the device from her bag. “Absol and Arcanine were incredible.”

Leon tightened his arms around her, placing a brief but excited kiss on her lips before turning his attention to the dark-type trainer, who worked with her Absol to haul their escaped captive back into the kitchen. “Thanks,” he said to her with a grin, his spirits much higher knowing they hadn’t lost all hope of making progress today. “That was really fast, you both are incredible.”

Raihan nodded in agreement, moving to inspect the captive for any signs of Pokeballs, weapons, etc. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again this time. “Seriously, is there anything your Absol can’t do?”

It was Arie’s turn to grin. “Well, Red can’t cook me eggs and bacon for breakfast,” she joked. “Pancakes are also out of the question, before you go asking.” She was, of course, teasing about the signature breakfast Raihan often made the three of them, and Arie often joked about whether he could even make anything else. Both trainers grinned at the inside joke, leaving the other two confused. Light smiled at the interaction, happy to see that Raihan had made a friend who seemed to challenge him and make him smile. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that they’d found Arie already in his room when they walked into the castle, and she’d particularly noticed the flush to Raihan’s skin, a flush she’d seen plenty of times when she’d been any bit physical with him. It wasn’t noticeable to people who weren’t familiar with it, and she realized Leon probably wouldn’t have thought much of finding Arie in Raihan’s room, but the Gym Leader’s behavior was obvious enough to her. He liked Arie. As more than just a friend-with-benefits, whether the dragon trainer realized it himself yet. From what she could tell, it also seemed as though the dark-type trainer reciprocated the feelings. 

Despite this, worry crossed Light’s mind. She’d also noted the way Arie had looked at and carried Piers on her way up from the dungeon, yet there didn’t seem to be any dissonance between the two men as there had been between he and Leon when Raihan was dating Light. The thoughts only had a brief moment to stir before Leon pulled her attention. “Ready to get this to Magnolia?” he asked her, looking at her pondering expression inquisitively. He’d grown accustomed to noticing when she was lost in thought, her mind far away. She nodded, taking his hand as they ran outside together to hop on her Corviknight. The giant bird squawked back at Raihan and the familiar castle, issuing its own snarky greeting before lurching itself into the air and taking off. Raihan chuckled, surprisingly not annoyed by the bird that too-willingly mocked him when he and Light were together. Even the reminder that the bird clearly had warmed up quicker to Leon than him didn’t bother him the way it normally would. 

“I’m gunna go make sure Piers is alright,” Arie said, giving Raihan a brief kiss as they shifted so that Raihan was holding entirely on to the captive. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Raihan was a little surprised by the remark. Even after the events of the day, it was still hardly past 2 p.m. Though, he had talked about a number of very personal topics with her; it was natural she’d want a little space once she’d spent her time taking care of Piers. Even if she did spend the entire time with the former Gym Leader, he realized, it wouldn’t bother him. Not in the sense that he didn’t care what she did, but in the sense that he was comfortable with whatever she decided to do, knowing the nature of their unique friendship was transparent. Beyond that, he didn’t mind having some time to himself to sort through the way he’d reacted to everything today. A lot of emotions had surfaced throughout the course of the day, many of which were surprising to him in a good way. He returned her kiss before she stalked off towards the dark-type trainer’s room, not taking his hands off the captive.

Thankfully, he and Leon had summoned some guards before they’d put Piers down in his bedroom so that there would be more than one person looking after this man. Although this time he would certainly be sure this man could pose no danger whatsoever to those around him from within the cell. Before locking him in behind the bars once again, Raihan inspected what felt like every inch of the man’s body, turning out every single pocket and flap of fabric, and then having each guard do the same. He retrieved a package of chips and a few pieces of bread from the kitchen, moving his way back down the steps to throw the food towards his prisoner. “You got a name?” He asked coldly. 

The captive sighed. “What’re ya gunna do if I don’ tell you? Torture me? Guess it don’t matter now. Name’s Byron.”

“What’s your deal, Byron?” he asked, tone still cold as his cerulean eyes narrowed on Byron. “Why the hell would you want Pokemon to attack people?”

“Don’ ya see? We’re holdin’ ‘em back from their true potential, keepin’ ‘em and pamperin’ ‘em the way we do. An’ for what? Comfort? Entertainment? ‘Specially here, you lot are a glutton for entertainment at Pokemon’s expense, limitin’ how an’ when they Dynamax for your own enjoyment. You don’ even help Pokemon that could Gigantamax to do it unless it makes for better TV. Galar’s a bunch of cowards. The true strength of any Pokemon is limited by people.”

Raihan took in a deep breath, refusing to get as heated as he did the last time. Arie wasn’t here to bail him out this time, and she certainly wasn’t going to be available to wrap himself around her as a distraction like he had earlier. “What about Pokmeon that evolve when they have a strong bond with their trainer? Or how Pokemon seem to be stronger in battle when they have a strong bond with their trainer? We just going to forget that now?”

“Still ain’t stronger than when you free em from trainers like that.”

The dragon trainer sighed. This conversation clearly wasn’t going anywhere. “Whatever man, I’ll be anywhere but here if you do decide you are ready to stop talking the nonsense” If anything, at least he had found out what to call him besides their prisoner or captive, which sends a bad message to anyone hearing about it, not that locking Byron up in the Hammerlocke prison wasn’t warranted. “Make sure you keep your eyes on this asshole at all times,” Raihan told his staff. I’ll be upstairs if he decides to talk or if you need anything.”

Raihan decided to make himself some lunch, preparing himself a Unfeasant deli meat sandwich with lettuce and tomato berry for some kick. With a can of lemonade to wash it down with. Normally, his meals were far more extravagant, but he also hadn’t eaten since the previous night. Neither had the two dark-type trainers, he realized once he’d finished his sandwich. Cooking was a calming outlet for him on a day where he needed to do some thinking anyway, so Raihan decided to start working on making some curry, dry in flavor like Piers, and he believed also Arie liked. He got to work chopping some leeks and Chesto berries, the purple color staining the tips of his fingers. 

While he worked, he thought about his reactions to the day. He’d been incredibly surprised by the way he’d reacted to a lot of things, particularly Arie and her stories of Hoenn and their intimate earlier exchange. He’d only ever bared his soul like that during sex with Light, and certainly didn’t often make out with someone after sex. Usually if he did, it almost always led to another round. But this time he hadn’t wanted it to go another round. If he’d had his way, Raihan would have kept badgering her with questions about her past and especially her travels. He almost never just talked to his partner after sex, but then again, he typically didn’t come across individuals nearly as fascinating as Arie had been. Everyone Raihan had ever been with had never been outside of Galar, never having any new history or information that he didn’t already know. He was used to his partners being starstruck by his stories and his accomplishments, not the other way around. Yet as he listened to Arie, he’d found himself clinging to her every word.

He tossed the freshly cut produce into a pan, beginning to brown it as he began boiling water for the curry rice, still deep in thought. Even as the two trainers from Wyndon had walked into his room earlier, he hadn’t minded the idea of Light seeing them together, and he’d felt strangely at peace seeing her and his best friend together. Had talking about things with Arie really been that impactful? He thought back to the first time he’d opened up to Light in the locker room of the Wyndon Gym and how much better he’d felt afterwards. And then the time he’d opened up to Leon after he’d seen Light on the Isle of Armor. Surely, Raihan didn’t give opening up to others enough credit; it seemed to be something that always helped him far more than he’d ever admit. It was surprising how quickly he and Arie had become friends over the past few weeks, though her admissions today made him realize they’d had a bit more in common than he would have thought. And, as much as he’d hurt from the past experience and was seemingly okay with it now, Light had left a lasting impact on him; he was opening up to people a little quicker now, treating them with a respect he hadn’t before. Instead of searching for meaningless one-night stands with people who acted starstruck by him, he sought someone who challenged him to really make things good. He wasn’t sure if it was a change he liked overall, but it certainly was beneficial in the current moment, at least as far as his relationship with Arie was concerned. Even his friendship, or whatever you would classify the nature of his relationship with Piers, had strengthened from his openness to their odd Dynamic and transparent interest in the girl they both had sex with. 

His stomach growled as the oils in the pan began sizzling, the heated produce beginning to brown around the edges as the aroma of the leeks and berries filled the kitchen. Raihan sprinkled some pepper into the pan, intensifying the dry aroma even further before adding the curry paste and spices. The sauce came to a boil just as his rice finished, a timing he’d worked many meals to perfect. He grinned to himself as he served several bowls: one for himself, two for the dark-type trainers, and a larger bowl for his Pokemon. His Pokemon, though, could wait until after the humans had been fed. Goodra had a habit of digging into her food too quickly and burning her mouth anyway. Admittedly, Raihan found it adorable every time, often stroking her face as its eyes welled up with ooze, and he often suspected its reaction to be a little overexaggerated, the motherly Pokemon seeking his attention in ways the other Pokemon wouldn’t give. Goodra seemed to do this often when he was stressed, also serving as a way to take his mind off of whatever he was troubled with for a few moments. 

Raihan brought the helpings of food to the dark-type trainers before digging into his own. He knocked on the door softly, which was answered quickly by Arie. “Hey, sorry,” he said quietly when he saw her surprised expression. She’d clearly hinted that she wanted space that evening, and Raihan had overstepped that hint. He blushed, feeling a little bad at this. “I realized you and Piers hadn’t eaten yet, so I made a little something before I turn in myself. Figured both you and Piers would need it after today, especially Piers.”

Her features softened and she smiled gratefully at him as if only now realizing that she was hungry. She’d put everyone else above herself today, even himself, Raihan realized. He resisted the urge to pull her into an embrace and be the one to dote on her that evening as he handed her the bowls. 

“Thanks,” she said, reaching up with her free hand to pull him in for a brief kiss, which he happily accepted as his chest tightened in an unexpected way. Raihan walked back to the kitchen, deciding to bring his own bowl outside and eat with his Pokemon on the castle grounds. It had been a while since he’d had quality time with them like this, not since he’d enjoyed that picnic outside Wedgehurst. Even then, he hadn’t realeased all of his Pokemon. His partners all seemed pleased to be let out of their balls outside for reasons other than fighting dangers, Goodra tromping over to cuddle next to him right away, with Flygon following not far behind. Duraludon roared happily at him before digging into the meal. Raihan dug in himself, pleasantly surprised by how well the dry flavors had complimented each other, despite it not being his favorite array of flavors. When his bowl was finished, his stomach fuller than he possibly could have imagined, he leaned back against the purple dragon type, resting his eyes under the sunlight. The weather was perfect for an afternoon snooze. 

Arie felt nervous as she walked into Pier’s room following her parting with Raihan. She’d never dealt with a head injury or possible concussion before. She’d heard rumors that you should keep someone with a possible head injury awake and others than the person should sleep as much as possible to get rest. To her relief, Piers was awake and scrolling on his phone weakly when she entered. “How are you?” She asked when his icy blue eyes met hers.

“’M fine,” he said gruffly, forcing his attention back to his Rotom phone. Arie backpedaled at the tone in his voice, and then giggled. “You don’t like being taken care of, do you?”

“Not when I don’t need it.”

“And let me guess, you never need it?”

Piers’ mouth turned up in a half smile. “Oh, there’s plenty of things I need taken care of. My well-being after a little bump on the head is not one of them. But I ‘spose you’re not about to change yer mind?”

She grinned and plopped down onto the bed next to him. “Got that right, your bony ass is stuck with me.” Her expression then sobered. “I’m sorry you got hurt though.”

The singer set his phone down and instead gently brushed a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face. His icy eyes were soft now, surprising coming from the man who’d been irritable a few seconds prior. “You did the right thing. Don’t wanna know what Rai woulda done if you hadn’t gotten him outta there. Dunno if you’ve ever been to a concert or Spikemuth, but I’ve seen a helluva lot worse than that guy. Though, I’ll bet Spikemuth is pretty damn quiet right now, without Obstagoon ‘n’ all.” His voice held a wistful note at the end as he talked about his hometown. 

“You miss Spikemuth?”

He shrugged. “The city’s not far from here. I miss Marnie more ‘n’ anythin’. Even when she did her Gym Challenge, she flew back to Spikemuth pretty often, no less than once a week. We’re pretty tight, Marnie ‘n’ me. It was just me an’ her for most of our lives, along with the other people in the town. They helped me raise her, all of us stickin’ together. When she decided to go off on her Gym Challenge, the guys in Spikemuth got together and formed Team Yell to cheer her on. Sounds like they were a bit of a handful to the other trainers, but that’s Spikemuth for ya. Though Marnie coulda handled herself just fine without anyone else. You’d like her.”

“Maybe you should go see her. We got that device back and got the guy who had it locked up. It’s gotta be calmer here the next couple days anyway. Raihan and I can handle things if you wanna go see her. I’m sure she’d like it too.”

Piers looked at her thoughtfully, as if he hadn’t even considered the idea that it was possible. He smiled as a decision was reached. “Yeah, think I’ll do that. Spikemuth is just a way’s over anyway. Me ‘n’ Marnie can come runnin’ if you guys need anything. Maybe I’ll go tomorrow afternoon once she gets up. Pretty sure Morpecko would eat me alive if I woke her up before she gets her beauty sleep. Though, I bet if I brought it some snacks it wouldn’t mind.”

Arie giggled. “Morpeckos are really cute, but a hell of a lot to feed. What made her pick Morpecko?”

He shrugged. “Dunno. We were out walking one day when Marnie was little and she went rushing off towards it. Didn’t realize the thing would think she was going for its snacks and attack her. So I threw a Pokeball at it and caught it for her. Mostly to keep it from shockin’ her to death, but it’s been her partner ever since.”

The short-haired woman was about to respond to him when a knock sounded on the door. Arie stood up and saw Raihan at the door, which confused her. Was her earlier hint about wanting a little space not clear enough to the dragon trainer? She softened slightly when she saw the bowls of curry in his hands and as he talked about wanting to make sure they were fed since none of them had eaten that morning. The gesture softened her, surprised at seeing the caring and sweet side of Raihan. The closest the darker man had come to showing a sweet and soft side was bringing them water and aftercare following their intimate activities. And practically all of his actions today. Arie grabbed the tray with the bowls in one hand, using the other to hold the back of his neck, bringing his lips down to meet hers for a sweet kiss, as her way of saying thanks for the food. It was a gesture she didn’t do often herself, usually kissing was exclusively tied to sex, or at least the promise and anticipation of. Yet, as she held him there for a few moments, it was clear that wasn’t the circumstance here. 

“Have a good night,” he wished her softly before walking back down the corridor. Arie paused for a moment as the door closed before turning back towards Piers, handing him a bowl and taking one for herself. She could smell the pepper, chesto berries, and other spices Raihan had used to make the curry dry in flavor, the way she typically preferred. 

“Mmm, my favorite,” Piers mumbled as he dug into the dry aroma of tastes. “Though Raihan has a bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to curry. Musta been feeling bad after what happened.”

Arie blinked at the singer’s comment. Raihan was just surprise after surprise today. “Dry’s my favorite too. Mostly because Chesto berries are pretty common out in the wild around the wild area and there’s lots of fresh veggies that go well with the flavor. Plenty of fish that make a nice dry seafood curry.”

Piers shuddered. “Not much for fish m’self. Until I became a Gym Leader, that’s about all we had available to hunt near Spikemuth, so that’s about all Marnie ‘n’ me had to eat for years. Right b’fore I left for my Gym Challenge, we both got real sick on some Clobbopus I hunted. That’s ‘bout when I decided to try for Champion. Figured if I could be Champion, or even a Gym Leader, I could provide more for her than shitty fish from outside the city limits. Leon was a bit too strong for me to have any chance at makin’ it, ‘specially without Dynamaxing, but the Spikemuth Gym Leader was impressed enough that someone from out little town could make it that far an’ asked me to take over for him. Being a Gym Leader paid ‘nough, put food on the table for me an’ Marnie at least, but I also got to meet the mates in my band during my own challenge, which was what helped Spikemuth the most. Getting’ Spikemuth back on the map with our music was probably the best part about it all though. Now that Marnie’s takin’ over, I figured I could start focusin’ in on it more. Least, that was the plan before all this device shit started happenin’.”

“I’ve been here a few years now and still haven’t heard you sing. Maybe I’ll drag Raihan to one of your concerts once this is all over. Or you could sing for me right now,” she teased, an attempt to agitate the singer who looked as though he could fall asleep at any moment as he worked on his bowl of curry. 

“Piss off, mate,” he said groggily, turning his icy eyes to glare at her, only this time his eyelids were beginning to droop, making his gaze far less menacing than usual. Arie set their bowls on the bedside table next to the bed before looping a finger through the pendant on Piers’ choker and pulled his face to hers. She kissed him for a moment, feeling his tongue lazily meet hers as his lips moved slowly against hers. He swatted a hand towards her as he pulled away, but rested his head against her chest as he fell quickly into a deep sleep. 

This hadn’t exactly been what Arie had planned for the evening; her intentions had been to take care of the dark-type trainer for a few hours (consciously) and then take the rest of the time to herself alone after the odd events of the day. Yet as Piers snoozed quietly against her chest, Arie found herself scrolling through her Rotom phone rather than attempting to leave. She scrolled mainly through social media, checking out the feeds of the Gym Leaders in Galar. Raihan had already managed to post a shot of him and his Pokemon outside the castle walls eating the same curry he’d brought the two dark-type trainers. He’d also posted shots that his Rotom phone had taken naturally of the three of them, both shots of them in battle and casually hanging out. She knew his Rotom was set to autuomatically take photos, but she didn’t realize he’d been posting the photos of them. Piers, she also noted, had shared these same photos on his own wall. Thankfully, none of the photos were suggestive in any way; Raihan respected both of their privacies enough for that, but she was surprised by how much the two other trainers were on social media, and that she hadn’t had the chance to see the photographs until now herself. It was a large difference she’d noticed between Hoenn and Galar. The people of Galar were very much into social media, press, and a social presence, whereas the concept of social media was anything but popular in her former home. It was odd to her just how much of their lives the celebrities of this region were willing to share. A large number of the comments on the posts of both trainers were already prying to find information about Arie herself, especially wanting to know the status of her relationship with the men: which one was she dating? She could only imagine the collective aneurism that the region would have if they found out she wasn’t dating but having sex with them. Both of them. Often at the same time. The family-friendly presence seemed to be an incredibly important thing for the trainers while Rose was still around. It seemed as though Leon was far laxer on those rules than his predecessor, but most of the Gym Leaders appeared to keep up the performance. 

Arie smiled as she noticed that Piers’ younger sister, Marnie, commended on every post he seemed to make, ranging from silly to serious comments. Either way, she found something to say to her older brother each time, and each time, Piers responded to her. The short-haired woman hadn’t had siblings herself; her parents had been content with just one child, but she’d always wondered what it would be like. For the most part, she’d seen enough to make her feel as though she didn’t want siblings- that they were more pain than they were worth worrying herself over at this point in her life. Yet as Arie looked at the virtual interactions between the two dark-type trainers, she was surprised by the longing she felt to have a close sibling relationship like the two had. Besides that, it was quite endearing how sweet the singer was towards his sister, a side he didn’t typically show to the rest of the world. Many curiosities flooded her mind about how the former Gym Leader and his sister had come to be as they were now, but those would have to wait until the next day.

It wasn’t until she woke up the next morning with Pier’s salt and pepper-colored hair in her face and his icy blue eyes staring at her in almost shock that she realized how tired she’d been as well. Tired enough to fall asleep with someone else, despite the fact that Arie had never slept in the same bed as another person, much less someone she’d been intimate with. She checked her Rotom Phone. 5 a.m. That was even earlier than they’d gotten up the previous day, and certainly was earlier than the dragon trainer would be up this morning. She groaned, setting her phone back on the nightstand table and starting Piers, who pulled his head back slightly. 

“Sorry, wasn’t sure if I should wake you,” he mumbled groggily. It was clear in his husky voice that he hadn’t been up for long either. “Wasn’t sure if I was ready to get up m’self. Mornin’ I guess.”

“How’s your head?”

Piers looked as though he was contemplating the answer for a moment. “Loads better,” he decided on. “Though, I should probably thank you for makin’ sure I was ‘lright and all.”

The slightly suggestive note in his voice and the cocky smirk that appeared on his face made her grin. “Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?”

“A little of this,” he said, kissing her neck, the easiest spot for him to reach. “An’ some of this,” he continued, bringing a hand around to her waist, pulling her flush against him. She couldn’t tell if it was just the fact that it was morning or if Piers was already raring to go, but she could feel his excitement through the jeans he’d fallen asleep in. “An’ a bunch of this,” he murmured, meeting her lips with his own, relishing the feel of her tongue against his as their lips moved slowly together. His slender fingers moved to intertwine in her short, black hair as she stroked the length of his arms. She noted that he’d removed his tongue piercing, likely to minimize the chance of accidentally choking on it in his semi-conscious state, although it could also be something he did on a nightly basis.

Despite their slower pace, Piers’ hands found their way quickly under her shirt, undoing the clasp on her bra and gently massaging her breast as he continued to kiss her lips, jawline, neck, collarbone: anything he could easily reach. Arie had never had morning sex before; she’d always took it upon herself to leave her partner’s house or ask them politely to leave before she could anyone could fall asleep. Despite it being more intimate than she was used to, she quite enjoyed the low, gravelly sounds that came from him as he slowly woke up. Even sexier was the low, throaty moan that escaped him after they’d shed their clothes and he’d buried himself inside her, his thrusts slow and sensual, yet incredibly intense. Arie found herself moaning softly as his teeth grazed her earlobe. “I love it when you sing for me, pet,” he hummed, grinning at his petname for her. He’d wanted to purr it in her ear as he buried himself to the hilt inside her since the first moment she’d yanked on his hair. Perhaps his favorite thing about it was how unfitting the nickname was for her yet seemed to work so well. Piers certainly noticed the excited shudder that went through her every time he did, and it drove him wild. It wasn’t often he had this type of slow, intimate sex. In fact, the last time had probably been his last relationship, but that was neither here nor there. Here with him now was the deliciously sexy dark-type trainer that thrust into, every movement of his earning a sigh of pleasure from her. 

He found his own release rather quickly, pulling himself out of her just in time to spill onto the bed, rather than inside of her, calling her name and clutching her close to his body as he did. Confusion crossed her features, but was soon replaced with euphoria as he slid down towards the end of the bed and his tongue met her center, gliding along the folds of her. Now that his own orgasm had woken him up a little more, he was ready to put in a little more effort to make sure she was feeling equally as good. He slipped his tongue inside briefly, spreading his own saliva around the area before gently blowing cool air onto the wet surface. She moaned, louder this time, and squirmed beneath his touch. “Piers,” she whined, pressing her thighs together for some friction. 

He smirked and then dove back in, his tongue quickly pulling her in to her own release. When her body calmed, Piers moved back to their earlier position, pulling her in for another tender kiss. He wasn’t usually so physically needy, but something about knowing he would be gone for the entire day, if not longer, made him want to soak up as much of her physical attention as she’d grant him before their day started. 

It didn’t last very long before she pulled away, using checking the time as an excuse to get some physical distance. Piers started to frown, but caught himself before he could, instead forcing one of his smug grins. “C’mon, let’s get some breakfast. Guess it’s time for me to show my skills in the kitchen.”

Arie laughed, relieved for the return to normalcy. “I see the way you feed yourself; I’m terrified for whatever you’re about to cook.”

Piers grinned, genuine this time, with a wink. “Only the best for my pet, pet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Arie, getting in way over her head with these boys XD These men got some baggage, but I think she's strong enough to handle it and her own. I'm excited to see how this is going to play out


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to see what our Champion Pair are up to (pun intended) XD  
> Also, some fluff and smut incoming, along with Leon starting to get at the root of the things that have been bothering him. I'm excited for the way this chapter progresses

Light and Leon headed towards Wedgehurst on Corviknight. Sonia had long sent Lana back to Unova since the girl had given all the information she knew. Thankfully, Swordbert and Shielbert had really pulled their weight the last few weeks as defenders of Wyndon, along with some of Leon’s more trusted Battle Tower staff so that the pair could remain near Wedgehurst for a few days while Magnolia conducted research with their Pokemon and others, specifically testing those that could and could not Gigantamax. Despite their recent victory over this pnenomenon, Light noticed Leon was abnormally quiet and introspective as they flew. She squeezed one of the hands that wrapped around her waist. 

“Hey, are you alright Lee?” she asked him, glancing back to meet his amber eyes.

Leon sighed, smiling ruefully at her. Unlike normal, though, that smile didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s Rai. He messed up a lot. It’s not just about the device, I mean we’ve messed up plenty too when it comes to these devices. I mean I let my own Pokemon…” he shook his head, stopping the line of thought. “He’s just…he’s saying so many things that are out of line, even for him. I’m just a little worried for him. Things have been rough between the three of us- well mainly him and I. What if our friendship doesn’t recover, or he doesn’t recover? No matter what happened, Rai’s still my best friend and it’s hard to see him like this.”

Light squeezed his hand harder, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “He’s worried about you too Lee, both of us are. You’ve been through a lot too. Besides, as far as our former relationship goes, he’s going to be okay. If not now, then very soon. Just trust me on this one,” she said smiling, remembering the things she’d noticed today and the possible relationship that would be on the horizon. Despite anything that had happened between them, Light cared for Raihan as a person and wanted nothing more than for him to be happy, however he found that happiness. With Arie, it seemed as though there was a very real possibility for him to find at least momentary happiness, though she suspected the happiness would be longer-lasting if the dark-type trainer did stick around in Galar. Either way, she knew the dragon trainer was already far happier than he’d been in the past few months, something that made her smile. 

The knowing grin on her face was hard for Leon not to smile back at, trusting the instincts of the woman who’d been pretty close to Raihan herself. It was clear she knew something he didn’t know, something that Raihan may not even know himself. “I always trust you,” he murmured, burying his face into her hair and wrapping his arms tighter around her waist. It was impossible for him to not trust those brilliant green eyes, her smile so warm and sure. Her words reassured him, calmed his sense of unease about his best friend, allowing him to enjoy their ride to Wedgehurst and the cool air that whipped around him, making his purple mane fly wildly in the wind behind him. Leon loved flying, especially on the back of his Charizard, but he quite enjoyed flying on the back of his girlfriend’s giant bird, who could fly far faster than Charizard with more than one passenger. Light was also no novice at flying, her and her steely bird were completely in sync when they flew, as if the Pokemon and its trainer were one being rather than two.   
“Hey,” Light said once they’d arrived outside Professor Magnolia’s house, stopping him just before they entered the door. “We finally got one of these things. We’re one step closer to figuring it out.” Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, bringing his frame tight against hers. He quickly returned the embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he did. She was right; they were about to make some progress on this problem today. The problem that had plaguing him for almost seven months. He’d already thought of several questions they could answer with this new device. Namely, could a Gigantamax Pokemon be put under the mind control, and could a Pokemon that had been under the control of the device go under again? Reluctantly, he’d brought Mr. Rime’s Pokeball after Raihan had told him about the device. He hadn’t mentioned this plan explicitly to Light, but of course she’d noticed the Pokeball on his belt, asking about it on their ride over. Although he didn’t say it earlier, it was another reason he’d been on edge that morning, especially after the device had gone missing. And, of course, Light had picked up on this as she usually did. 

Leon kissed her cheek, overwhelmed by how much she meant to him. Even eight months after the day she’d told him she felt the same as he did, he still felt like he couldn’t believe it. Every time she said those three words he still felt as excited and awe-struck as he had the first time she’d said them, and every kiss was something he cherished with his life. If it hadn’t been for her, Leon wasn’t sure what shape he’d be in with everything that weighed on his mind now. “I love you,” he said softly, pulling back just enough to look at her expression, staring into her green eyes. The bright sunlight that shone outside the professor’s house reflected in them, and he could see the reflection of the fluffy white clouds in her irises as she looked up at him. “You’re so beautiful Light,” he continued, cupping her cheek with his hand. “Even when you are trying to pummel your enemies into the ground.”

She grinned at the slight sense of humor of his that had returned. “What can I say? You taught me to show everyone a champion time, though not everyone is going to be happy about it,”

It was Leon’s turn to grin. “And then later I get to show you a champion time.”

“Well, I can think of at least two people who will be happy about that one,” she teased back, giving him a quick kiss and lacing her fingers through his before they entered Magnolia’s house, who was of course expecting them. As always, she got straight to the point. 

“Light, Leon, welcome. Let’s get outside and running some experiments on this thing, shall we?” She held up a large bag of Poke Treats. “I trust you both understand that we’ll need to test this on your own Pokemon, since we have no other option?”

They both nodded, and Magnolia looked at them with a sad expression on her face. “Yes, I suppose you do. Why don’t we start with something that can Gigantamax? I’ve taken the liberty of retrieving some of your Pokemon from the Box Storage, both old and new. I have a few hypotheses of my own, as I’m sure you do as well.”

Light noticed Leon’s hesitation as he touched Charizard’s ball, so she jumped in first, readying her own ball. Although she didn’t love the idea of putting her Pokemon through this, she hated even more the feeling of putting Leon back through this trauma. “Cinderance is pretty well-rested and ready for battle, let’s start with him. Should I Gigntamax it first?”

Magnolia thought for a moment. “Hmmm, let’s see what happens without it first. I believe the boy whose Pokemon couldn’t be controlled wasn’t even in Galar to be Gigantamaxed at the time, so let’s try it with those same conditions.” The professor held her hand out for the device, which Light handed to her carefully, giving her Cinderance a treat before walking out towards the small field outside Magnolia’s house. “Stand back from your Pokemon, dear,” she instructed. “If this device does work on it, I want to have a few seconds of buffer to turn it off before it springs into action. Be prepared for anything; your Pokemon are strong enough as it is without a device to help it.”

The rosy-haired woman nodded, stepping towards the edge of the pitch to stand near Leon. Her Pokemon tried to follow, but she held up her hand to signal for it to stay. Cinderance gave her a confused look, but otherwise stayed in place as Magnolia pointed the device towards it. A few moments passed. The fire-type looked around cautiously, as if it was hearing some strange sound that couldn’t be registered by the trainers around it, but ultimately remained unchanged. Both trainers could clearly see that the light was on the device, signaling that the mechanism was in use. Another moment went by before Magnolia switched off the device, relaxing her tense posture. Light ran to her Cinderance, giving it a fist-bump and several treats. The fire-type clearly didn’t understand exactly what it had done to warrant such wonderful rewards, but accepted them happily. 

“Dear, would you mind returning Cinderance? I’d like to bring out this Butterfree of yours that I’ve been taking care of here in the lab. It doesn’t seem particularly attached to you or anyone else, but it can Gigantamax, so I’d like to see what happens.”

Light nodded, returning her Cinderance and taking the ball from Magnolia. She released her Butterfree and felt a pang of guilt at the Pokemon she hadn’t really had a chance to interact with much since catching it. It was a recent addition to her collection of Pokemon, one she’d encountered with Leon just before they’d taken that trip to the Glimwood Tangle. She’d had every intent on at least forming a bond with the Pokemon, but the dangers in Galar had simply gotten in the way of that. The Pokemon accepted her treats, but with a wary, confused look. When Light backed away and Magnolia turned the device on it, the response was immediate. Butterfree’s eyes turned bright red instantly, turning its body towards the nearest two trainers. As it reared back to charge, Magnolia switched off the device, returning the Butterfree to its normal, albeit confused state. 

“So, does that mean Gigantamax isn’t the answer?” Leon asked, his eyes locked to the location where Butterfree had been, now returned to its ball. “So does that mean there’s no hope? No way we can prevent this?”

Magnolia shook her head, her expression still speculative. “Not yet Leon, patience. Light, will you bring out your Dragapult, or one of the Pokemon you have a close with? One that can’t Gigantamax, preferably.”

Nervously, Light released her Dragapult. She was equally as close with all of her Pokemon, of course, but the dragon-type appeared to have a special bond with her that was unique compared to most of her Pokemon. Dragapult, by nature, was slightly wearier of humans, trainers in particular. The Pokemon’s main goal was to protect and train the Dreepy that sit atop its head, only releasing them at the Dreepy’s willingness to attack others. This Dragapult had chosen to trust Light completely, just as Leon’s had chosen to trust him. Of course, all of her Pokemon trusted her and loved her in their own individual way, but this was perhaps the best testament to the bond Magnolia was seeking: a full and complete trust. Her Dragapult floated happily around her when she released it, eagerly eating the treats and allowing the Dreepy atop its head to have a small taste as well. Her nervousness ran through her, anxious about her bond with her Pokemon if anything were to happen to her Dragapult. Leon squeezed her hand in his own as Magnolia readied the device, angling it towards the dragon-type. Similarly to Cinderance, the Pokemon looked around curiously as if noticing something was off, but not once did its eyes go dark red. The Champion released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and ran towards her ghostly dragon, patting its head and cuddling the Dreepy as she hugged it. The Pokemon recoiled only slightly, giving her a look of surprise, but otherwise seemed pleased to have the attention of its trainer. Leon smiled at the scene before turning his attention to Magnolia. 

“So then that means it’s a strong bond with a trainer that prevents the mind control device from working?” 

Magnolia nodded hesitantly. “It would appear so, but I’ll need to run a few more tests to be sure. I’ll test Hop’s Pokemon; the two of you have done more than enough for the day.”

Leon shook his head. “Wait…” he said, hesitant himself. “There’s…one more thing I want to know, and that’s if Pokemon that have been controlled once can be put under again. Seven months ago, Rose used one of those devices on one of my own Pokemon and I… I just need to know more about what happened, or what could happen again.” He took Mr. Rime’s ball off of his belt and released the psychic-type. Neither the Pokemon nor the trainer could look the other in the eyes. Light took a step towards the purple-haired male, her turn to comfort the trainer by holding his hand as Magnolia readied the device towards the Mr. Rime. 

The second the eyes of the psychic-type Pokemon began to glow red, the professor switched off the device, releasing the Pokemon before it could even realize something had been wrong. Leon frowned a little, hesitantly taking a step towards his Pokemon. Mr. Rime looked at him warily for a moment before smiling and breaking into a silly tap-dance, both unsure of itself and to make Leon smile. It was clear the Pokemon wanted to make its trainer more at ease. The purple-haired male smiled at the Pokemon. “Hey buddy,” he said cautiously, offering some treats to the psychic-type. A pang of guilt ran through Leon, accompanied by sadness. Mr. Rime being brought under the control of the device was his own fault, he rationalized. He’d originally caught and trained the ice and psychic-type Pokemon to be a steadfast opponent against Light, especially against her Dragapult and her Gallade. He’d formed a slight bond with the Pokemon, but hadn’t become nearly as close with it as he had with his other partners, which had probably weakened with his losing streak the weeks he’d been preoccupied with his feelings for Light, meaning Rose had been right about at least that one thing. Tears stung at his eyes and he turned away from the two women on the field. Leon had been weak and let his bond with his Pokemon weaken rather than strengthen. He’d put himself, Galar, and the love of his life potentially in danger all because he’d been too wrapped up in his own feelings and guilt. He’d continued to let the bond deteriorate while he settled in his own trauma and feelings after Mr. Rime had hypnotized him, too weak to deal with his feelings for the next six months. 

Leon smiled and patted the head of his Pokemon, choosing to keep it out of its Pokeball for now. He knew what he needed to do for his own sake and for the sake of understanding the device. Magnolia gave him a knowing look, nodding before retreating into her house. Leon sat himself on the bench outside, beckoning for Light to join him as he retrieved a rubber ball from his backpack, which Mr. Rime chased after eagerly. The rosy-haired woman could sense something was off with the former champion as they sat hand-in-hand in silence for a few moments. She knew without a doubt that Leon would voice what was going through his mind, once he found the words, just as he always did. It was a large part of what made their relationship so strong and solid, and a large part of what had made her realize just exactly how much he’d never given up on her, how much he trusted her. And she trusted him just as much: completely. She rested her head on his shoulder, occasionally sweetly pressing her lips to his cheek as she listened to his breathing, which hiked every so often as he worked through an internal struggle. Her hand squeezed his gently whenever it happened, as if to ground him and remind him that she was here for him and that things would be okay. 

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Leon finally spoke. “Light…Mr. Rime was my fault. The reason it was able to turn on me was because I wasn’t close enough to it, because I didn’t take the time to train with it properly and thoroughly. I didn’t give it the attention it needed and deserved to become a strong partner and feel like it could trust me.”

“Leon…” Light said softly, meeting his amber eyes, which now shined with tears that threatened to spill. She delicately kissed each one to clear the tears, just as Leon often did when the roles were reversed. “It’s okay to not be as close with every Pokemon you catch as you are, say Charizard. I know it hurts, I felt so guilty when my own Butterfree’s eyes turned red too.”

The former champion kissed her forehead. Of course she felt for the Pokemon that she hadn’t yet been able to bond with. Her strong love for every Pokemon she caught, whether she used it in battle or not, was one of the things he absolutely loved about her. “I know you did sweetheart, but this is a little different. Mr. Rime and I were close after training for our battle with you. Even up until the Galarian Star Tournament, while we trained for the Battle Tower so that Mr. Rime could participate in some awesome battles, we formed a pretty decent bond. And then everything with Oleana and the Isle of Armor happened and I just…I got too caught up in my own feelings. When we went on that losing streak and I neglected everything around me, I think Mr. Rime took that a little hard. Its first big battle with me was a losing match against you, and then I sent it into a spiral of losses. And after everything that happened in the Tower…I wasn’t ready to face it again, which only hurt it even more.”

Light wrapped her arms around Leon. “Lee, you’re not weak. What we all went through…all of us carry at least some type of trauma from it. We’ve helped each other heal these past few months. You can’t change the past and what happened, but Mr. Rime seems like it wants to put the past behind it and start moving forward. Is that what you want?”

Leon smiled sadly at her, bringing her in for an unexpected kiss as a few tears slid down his face. “How do you always know me and the things I need to hear so well?” he murmured against her lips, cupping her face in his hands as he cherished the tender moment. Light knew there was more he needed to say, something he was putting off that would be painful to say, but indulged in the moment anyway as she returned the kiss. It was Mr. Rime, who’d returned yet again with the rubber ball, that pulled them from their embrace. The psychic type, upon seeing the tears on Leon’s face, did another silly tap-dancing routine, pretending to juggle the ball. This time, the Pokemon’s effort to cheer him reached Leon, who smiled and received the ball, throwing it even farther of a challenge. “Thanks buddy,” he said softly to the Pokemon before it darted towards the object. 

Seeing his Pokemon fight to make sure he was okay steeled his resolve. This was the right choice, as much as it would hurt. “Light, I think I need to stay here and train Mr. Rime in the Wild Area to regrow our bond. If it’s willing to put the past behind it, I need be as well. And I think that it can help determine just how strong the bond between trainer and Pokemon needs to be in order to keep it from getting mind controlled. Maybe we can pinpoint something that can lead us to preventing it for others who are still working on their bonds.”

Realization hit Light. What Leon was suggesting was to split up while he trained with Mr. Rime and Light went back to protecting Wyndon. Alone, in their shared apartment. Another toss of the rubber ball went by as she processed this. Of course, she would support the former champion no matter what he decided, especially when it came to healing the trauma that had given him nightmares the past seven months. She hugged him tighter. “Whatever you need to do Lee, just come back to me as soon as you can, okay?”

He kissed her, once again cupping her face in his hands. Arceus, he loved those emerald eyes. “Of course. I’m going to drive Sonia and Hop absolutely crazy while I’m down here. Though, I was thinking. If I’m here, maybe I should send Hop with you. It’s been a while since the two of you really had the chance to catch up. Besides, Wyndon should be okay for the night. How about we stay at Hop’s place and the two of you leave in the morning? I do believe our quality time this morning was cut far too short for my liking and there’s no way in hell you’re going back to Wyndon without proper cuddles,” he said, nuzzling her neck and making her giggle slightly, despite the unavoidable dread both trainers felt at their upcoming temporary goodbye. 

On their walk over to Sonia’s lab, the Champion and former champion called Hop to fill him in on the details of the past 12 hours, who was all too eager to take the chance to battle alongside his best friend and rival again. And, of course, to have almost unlimited access to her attention for that time. While they’d met up for a few lunches during the past six months before the devices were found in Galar, the trainers who’d once spent almost every afternoon together found themselves only able to spend a few hours together at a time. Even Light, who was dreading spending so much time away from Leon, was looking forward to seeing her best friend again soon. She was also thankful that he’d had the insight to make sure Leon wasn’t lonely. 

“Leon, explain yourself! Are you trying to kill me by taking my assistant away?” Sonia demanded as soon as they’d reached Hop’s place. She’d just arrived herself, carrying a basket full of takeout she’d ordered at the market in Wedgehurst. Leon grinned sheepishly. He hadn’t expected the redhead to be so upset with him, not since she’d hired a second assistant around the lab. Or rather, reinstated the assistant who’d gone along with Swordbert and Shielbert’s schemes after they’d all proven themselves worthy of redemption. Sonia and her assistant had done the majority of detecting Power Spots to notify some of the Gym Leaders who weren’t around the Wild Area- which was almost always a Power Spot anyway- to anything odd in the area that might indicate a Dynamaxed, mind controlled Pokemon. Hop had been the one to run out and quash the problems near Wedgehurst, usually tame enough for one person, only calling in Sonia as backup on a rare occasion. “I’ve gotta train up anyway, so I’ll take on anything that pops up around here, just like Hop was doing, in between my experiments with Professor Magnolia.”

“If you don’t get lost on your way there,” she said, pouting just slightly. Light threw her an apologetic look. With her reputation of getting into trouble whenever she was alone, it probably was for the best to have Hop with her, if not just for someone to be aware of her having gone missing. Which was probably another reason Leon had pushed for the pairing. Besides possibly Raihan, his younger brother was just about the only person he could trust to really attend to and keep Light safe, one of the few people who knew her almost as well as he did. Hop would probably argue he knew Light better, but Leon figured the many intimate moments they’d shared together warranted a stronger bond. Not that there was any actual competition between the two, apart from maybe who got to be her partner in the Galarian Stars Tournament, of course, although just about everyone in the tournament wanted to be her partner. Even after coming back from a several month-long hiatus from the tournament, Light still hadn’t lost a single battle. Leon had really worked to use those past six months to build her confidence in knowing her victories and accomplishments weren’t ‘flukes’ as she often worried. 

Hop grinned as they walked inside the door of the lab, scurrying over to wrap Light and Leon in a hug. “Looks like it’ll be just like old times, mate!” he said excitedly to the rosy-haired woman as he led them proudly into his kitchen area. After their large gathering to talk about the devices, Hop had used the money he’d saved from his earnings during the Gym Challenge and Galarian Stars Tournament to rent his own little place on the outskirts of Wedgehurst. The timing of the crisis provided an opportune time for Hop to move out of his mum’s house, but Light knew the move was something he’d been contemplating for awhile, ever since he’d decided to forge his own path by working to become a professor. While he no longer was upset at having lost to her in the semi-finals, he’d confessed to her that the memorabilia of Leon’s time as Undefeatable Champion his mum kept hanging around the house had only served as a constant reminder that he didn’t live up to the expectation many across Galar had seemed to hold for him, including his own family. This had been his chance to move out in a way that didn’t have to cause his mom any guilt or pain over his leaving, especially since Hop tended to visit her often. 

“Wow Hop,” she marveled, looking around at the well-furnished apartment. “The pictures you sent really didn’t do it justice! No way you put this all together yourself?”

“Of course he didn’t,” Sonia chimed in with a laugh. “I’ve seen plenty of pictures of his childhood bedroom on social media. No way was I letting his entire house look like that disaster. Although,” she continued, placing a finger to her lips as she often did when she thought deeply or was about to joke, “maybe I should start charging for my designer skills. I’m seeing a second career in the making.”

“You’d have to have time for that,” Leon teased, and Sonia stuck her tongue out at the purple haired male. Light grinned at the two. Leon and Sonia’s relationship at one time had been much like her relationship with Hop: best friends and rivals that knew each other in and out, but never anything more than that. Their relationship had been strained for several years while Leon was champion, but throughout the past year and a half as the four trainers currently standing in Hop’s apartment worked together to figure out the legends of the two heroes and stop the Darkest Day, their relationship had mended. Despite not wanting to be apart from Leon, there wasn’t a person in Galar, apart from their families, Light was happier to see him spend some time with. 

“I’d have time if someone didn’t keep stealing all my assistants,” she quipped back, but with a joking note to her voice. Leon held up his hands as if to surrender, looking to Light as he laughed. “You better be ready to be put to work, Leon, or you’ll be making your own dinner for however long it is you’re staying. Speaking of, where are you staying?”

Leon’s hesitation gave Hop the chance to jump in. “Well, since I’ll be staying at Lee’s place, I s’pose it’s only right to let you stay here. But I’ve gotta warn you; if you mess anything up, both Sonia and I coming for you, mate. Though, I think Sonia’s wrath might be a little scarier than mine, sine she did all the hard work. Also, no cooking. I’ve seen you cook Lee, and I’d like to not have my new place burnt down before I come back to it.”

Leon pouted. “You lot are so cruel. Can I send Sonia back to Wyndon instead of Light?”

It was Sonia’s turn to pout. “Not unless either of you know exactly what all the things on my PowerSpot detector mean and when to make a big deal about a spot verus when its at its normal level.” That shut both of them up. “Yeah, thought so.” She teased and her Yamper barked alongside her verbal victory. “Come on, let’s eat.”

The rest of the evening progressed in much the same way, the trainers teasing each other over quality food, Sonia had picked up delicious samosa and curry from the market, and talking about upcoming endeavors for both sets of trainers. Hop enthused about the book he was writing, which focused on the events of the second Darkest Day, as well as some anatomical and biological information about the hero Pokemon, Zacian and Zamazemta. Hop was already itching to spend some time with the legendary hero that chose to be Light’s partner when he was in Wyndon. “Hey, all of us were there the day it happened. Who better to write about it than us, right mate?”

Light smiled at her best friend, proud of his motivation and accomplishments. “Right!” She said enthusiastically. “Though, I’m not so sure Zacian’s going to take lightly to you poking and prodding at it for science. You might need a ton of treats if you’re going to do that.”

“Zacian is so much more stubborn than Zamazenta,” Hop whined. “Reminds me of its trainer.”

The champion glared at him, but let the comment slide. For now. She was confident that Zacian would get him back anyway as soon as Hop started running any type of test on it. 

Eventually a yawning Sonia left, leaving the three trainers to themselves. Hop showed Light and Leon to their own room for the night before stalking off to his own bedroom. Light blushed when she realized how close their bedrooms would be, separated by a thin apartment wall. Leon, too looked like he was hiding his own disappointment just slightly. “Night mates,” Hop said to the pair through a yawn before closing the door to his bedroom. 

Leon was quick to follow that lead, sinking down into the bed they would be sharing, secretly excited by the fact that the bed was small enough they’d have to snuggle close together to fit properly. Though Charizard, who usually slept somewhere near the foot of their bed back in Wyndon, would have to deal with remaining in its Pokeball for the night. Once Leon was here by himself, he’d let the fire-type cuddle up to him. 

His arms wrapped instinctively around her as she slid under the covers as well. His amber eyes met her emerald ones, silent for a few moments. He traced the shape of her lips with his thumb as his hand held her cheek. Leon looked at her as if he was trying to cram several week’s worth of meeting her eyes into one moment, savoring it. Light covered his hands with her own. “Hey, everything is going to be fine,” she whispered up at him. “Besides, it’s just as long as it takes for you to regrow your bond with Mr. Rime and do experiments with Magnolia. Knowing how much you love Pokemon, I bet you’ll be back in two weeks, tops.”

He nuzzled her neck. “Mmm, I hope you’re right,” he muttered groggily, pulling them down to rest more comfortably on the bed with Light’s head on his chest. “Thank you,” he said so softly the rosy-haired woman almost swore she didn’t hear it.

“For what, Lee?” she asked back, closing her eyes to focus on the calming, steady sounds of his breathing and heartbeat against her ear.

Leon thought for a moment on the words he was truly trying to express. He wasn’t necessarily thanking her for being okay with the separation, or even for being there for him, although that was part of it. But what he really felt went beyond that. It wasn’t just that she was willing to go through them being apart for a bit, it was that she understood how much he needed it to be. She wasn’t just supportive of what he needed, she managed to understand and know what that need was, and how strong it was without him even telling her. “For just really getting me,” he settled on, the words encompassing everything he felt.

Light smiled, looking up at him. Groggily, she moved to give him a sweet kiss before returning her head to his chest and falling into what would probably be her most comfortable sleep in the upcoming weeks.

***

They were woken up by a soft knock on their door early in the morning. “Hey,” Hop said quietly once they turned to look at him. “I need to pick up a few things at the store and I want to say goodbye to mum before we head out. I’ll be back in a few hours and then we can head to Wyndon. I can’t wait to see what the place looks like now that both of you are trying to cram your stuff into that hotel room,” he teased, shutting the door. Each movement he made from putting on shoes, to grabbing his keys, to shutting the front door as he left, sounded loud and almost over exaggerated.

Leon laughed. 

“What’s so funny?” Light asked, looking up at the former champion’s face. She always wondered how he looked so perfect, so un-mussed in the morning.

He shook his head as he continued to chuckle. “Hop absolutely does not need anything from the store just to head to Wyndon. I know for a fact he saw mum yesterday. He’s clearly giving us some alone time before we say goodbye for a few weeks. I mean, I guess it’s possible that Hop has some mysterious date at…” he rolled over and checked the time on his Rotom Phone and then groaned. “6 a.m., but I’d doubt it. We both know Hop wouldn’t agree to a morning date if his life depended on it.”

Light grinned. “I guess we’d better make use of the time then,” she said, scooting closer to the purple-haired male’s face to press her lips to his. Leon slid his palms over her upper arms, using them as leverage to pull her farther on top of him, giving him an even better view of the flush that crept up along her chest, the sides of her neck, pooled in her cheeks. He knew she could feel how eager he already was, but he didn’t care. This was a moment he wanted to savor, to taste her lips and feel the smoothness of her skin as much as he could before the moment was over. Suddenly, he was thankful the two of them slept in minimal clothing that was easily removed now to let him really feel her. Gently running a hand through her silky rose-gold hair, he pulled her neck closer to him, kissing and sucking the base of her throat. A low, lazy moan escaped her mouth as he did, the skin there reddening beneath his lips. Her hands roamed his chest, gliding over the smooth muscles. Everywhere she touched lit him on fire, her hands so soft and warm, delicately moving along the curves of his body. 

Leon broke away to look at her. With the pink and orange hues of the sunrise streaming in from the window, her skin glowed a beautiful sunlit hue. Her hair, normally a soft hue of pinkish-gold that fell smoothly past her chest, fell wildly in mussed waves and looked as though it could be on fire. Her emerald eyes, looking down at him stood out against the warmer glow that otherwise covered her. “What?” Light asked softly as he gazed at her, a blush spreading across his cheeks, though he was surprised he could notice it in the current lighting. He loved it when she blushed.

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said, stroking her cheek, her hair, running his thumb over the shape of her lips. “I love you.”

His sweet, intimate compliment made her blush, especially with the way he was looking at her now. It was if he was a blind man seeing the sun rise for the first time, so incredibly intimate it felt like a swarm of Butterfree released in her stomach. It wasn’t considerably different than the way he normally looked at her like this. Maybe it was the fact that she wouldn’t see him for awhile, or maybe it was the fact that his own amber eyes, shining like wildfire back at her, were filled with so much love and admiration. The feeling almost overwhelmed her. “I love you too,” she whispered, bringing her lips back to his, a shiver going down her spine as his tongue met hers. His lips were so soft against hers, so easy to get lost in, the way they moved so perfectly against hers as if they anticipated every moment. She loved the way they could be soft and pillowy one moment, as if they were hardly there, and hard, forceful in another. His tongue, too, met hers with delicate, intimate moments, as if seeking yet another way to be as close to her as possible. Not that Light would complain, she absolutely loved every moment his skin and body met hers. Usually it was Leon who took charge, constantly reaching for her to prove his love for her physically. But this morning was different. 

This time, she wanted to be the one to take charge, to look upon his face as they made love, letting him take all of her in as she did. She pulled back, moving to straddle him as his bent knees supported her from behind. Leon’s breath hitched as her hand wrapped around the length of him, softly stroking him. The soft mewl that came from his lips lit her skin on fire and was enough to break her control. The rosy-haired woman let him fill her, softly calling out his name as she did. She was so wet, so ready that the movement came easily, despite the fact that he filled her past what she thought was possible. His own moans came out wordless and breathy, in absolute awe of the way she moved on top of him, and his hips bucked up towards hers when she rested her hands on his thighs behind her for support. The touch to the sensitive area drove him wild, and his hands moved to her hips to keep himself somewhat still. He was used to being the one in charge, or at least the person on top, able to look into her eyes and cover his body with hers in the most intimate way possible. 

Lightening his grasp on her hips, his hands trailed up her sides, his fingertips only slightly brushing her smooth, flushed skin. He noted the way she squirmed, clenching around him as his fingers grazed gently over her breasts, and then her nipples. Leon loved the way he could feel the effects of everything he did to please her, feeling every movement she made around his most sensitive areas. With one hand remaining on her chest, he moved the other down to stroke her clit with his index and middle fingers. He watched the flush in her face deepen, her eyes closing and falling back in the pleasure as he trailed his fingers up and down the area. Her center was already so swollen, so needy for him. As he did this, the pace of her hips quickened, her hips clenching tighter around him as nothing but sensation and love overtook her. Leon would never get enough of the lewd mewls that escaped her mouth as she rocked against him, using him to pleasure herself too. Her movements became increasingly more erratic, her body trembling at his touch. She was close.

Just before she reached orgasm, Leon pulled out from inside her, shifting her to kneel above his mouth, guiding her hands to the wall behind them for support. His hands moved to hold her hips in place as his tongue quickly found her sweet spot, the spot than intensified those mewls to moans as he lapped at it. She always tasted to sweet every time he used his mouth on her; it drove him absolutely wild. This was easily his favorite way to make her come undone, apart from the moments that the friction of him inside her brought her over the edge, her inner walls vibrating against him, as close as they could possibly be together. Her breathing quickened as her hips involuntarily grinded against his tongue, both erratic and shaky. “Oh Lee,” she moaned, her eyes meeting his with a look of complete love and trust. 

The moment she came undone, waves of pleasure crashing over her intensely, Leon gently-but quickly- guided her onto the mattress to position himself on top of her. He slid into her once again with ease, feeling the shudders of her orgasm against him. The purple-haired male loved the way her body rocked, muscles contracting around him and the post-orgasmic glow that always settled over her features. He loved watching the tension release as she sank back to the bed, her body relaxing for only a moment before tensing up again in anticipation as he began to move slowly inside her. The pink and orange hues from the earlier sunrise had faded, leaving her skin basked instead in the morning light, which gave her a dewy glow, one that now more easily betrayed the flush on her body that he loved so much. The way it blossomed at her chest, creeping up the sides of her neck and cheeks and painting her lips a deeper shade of pink made him wild. “Arceus, you’re so beautiful,” he purred, once again taking in the sight of her body. “I love you so much.”

The intensity of the feelings that ran between them and his slow, deliberate thrusts hit her sensitive areas in just the right way each time he moved out and back into her. It only made her want more. “Faster,” she breathed, arching her own hips to meet every movement.

Leon grinned, but obliged, picking up his pace as he put his hands on her waist for leverage, looking down at her with tender, loving eyes as he did. He was mesmerized by the way her body moved against his, the way her breasts bounced slightly at each impact of his hips and the shape of her lips as she cried his name and a slew of wordless moans. It wasn’t long after that she came around him, the sensations sending him over the edge as well. “Oh my Arceus, Light,” he breathed, collapsing his weight on top of her. “I love you.”

Light brushed a strand of his wild, purple hair away from his face and softly kissed his lips, which were just as pink and swollen as hers from their constant kisses. “I love you too.” She held him there for a while, his head on her chest as Leon listened to her heartrate gradually slow, both of them coming down from their excitement. Both trainers wanted to take advantage of every moment they had together. 

Getting dressed was an incredibly slow process, both of them stopping frequently to kiss each other on the lips, neck, shoulders, anything they could reach. Once they were dressed, Leon began to rummage through Hop’s fridge and cupboards. “Lee, what you doing?” Light asked in a singsong voice, almost like she’d caught him doing something he wasn’t supposed to.

He grinned sheepishly. “Making you breakfast,” he said frowning at the lack of substantial food for cooking in Hop’s apartment. Not so much that there was a lack of food, but rather a lack of food and ingredients Leon could easily prepare for them. Hop had certainly been the one to take after their mum’s cooking skills, spending far more time with his mom during those influential years than Leon did. Light giggled at the sight of him searching for something he knew how to prepare and held out her hand. “Come on, let’s go get breakfast,” she urged. “Besides, I don’t think I got enough exercise in for the day.”

Leon grinned and took her hand, yanking her to him unexpectedly. Light yelped in surprise, which was muffled when his mouth claimed hers hungrily, his lips hot and intense against hers. The intensity of the kiss and his movements made her head spin, her knees buckling as she relied on the former champion to keep her steady. “I’ll show you exercise,” he teased, all but tossing her onto the couch in Hop’s living room. He crawled on top of her, resisting the urge to tickle her sides as he nuzzled up her chest, across her collarbone, up her neck until he reached her lips. He devoured her mouth for just a little longer before groaning and sitting up. If he had his way, he would lap at her folds with his tongue for breakfast. But, since he knew she would have a long flight on an empty stomach if they didn’t eat now, he helped her up from the couch, smoothing her silky hair he’d tousled yet again. Arceus, the heat in her emerald eyes almost made him throw out the whole idea of getting breakfast all over again. He calmed himself for a few moments as she grabbed her coat and purse. 

The pink and purple-haired couple strolled happily through the Wedgehurst market, picking out sweets. Leon grabbed some sweet donuts while Light picked up fresh berries, making sure to get extra for her and Hop’s trip back to Wyndon. Her best friend had a habit of snacking on long trips, even if he’d already eaten a large meal beforehand. She was also fairly certain she’d worked up more than enough of an appetite already. 

Light admired Leon as he finished paying the merchant for the sweets, noting the way the sunlight reflected off his smooth, purple hair, and the lightness in his features that hadn’t been there since the events in the Battle Tower seven months ago. She smiled, happy to see that more of his normal self was returning. He’d regrow the bond between him and his Pokemon, and was starting to feel like he could do something substantial in the wake of this mess. He was always a protector of Galar, but Light knew he hadn’t been feeling that way since even the events of the Darkest Day. Putting Galar above his own needs and wants was truly a test to him of how seriously he was willing to take that role. Although she’d wished he could have felt that confidence in his abilities all along, Light was happy he was able to find that side of himself again. 

“What?” he asked her as they walked back to Hop’s place, already digging into a donut as she gazed at him. 

“I’m just happy you’re starting to feel a little better, and that you’re bonding with Mr. Rime again,” she said, smiling at him as she snatched a bite of the sweet baked good. 

“Yeah. Me too,” he said, smiling warmly at the woman who always seemed to know things about him before he could realize them himself. 

Hop arrived back at the apartment just as they made it back themselves. The two brothers exchanged brief goodbyes before the younger brother before running up to his apartment to grab a few things, leaving Light and Leon to their emotional goodbye. Since he’d given them the entire morning thus far, Hop returned quickly, climbing into the Flying taxi as soon as he left the door. With one final parting kiss, Light followed suit, taking the seat across from Hop, who grinned at her cheekily. “You have a good morning?” he asked, still grinning.

She glared at him, and he put his hands up as if in surrender, laughing. “Hey, just be glad I let you turn my apartment into a love den. We could have left right away this morning.”

Light groaned. “Ugh, Leon was right.” A blush crept into her cheeks at the memory of what had occurred that morning. “Thanks Hop,” she admitted sheepishly, and Hop’s grin only grew wider. 

“Hey mate, I may tease, but I really am happy for you and Lee. Sure, he was normally a happy guy, but I’ve never seen him as happy as he’s been with you. Mum’s just glad he’s got something going on in his life besides Pokemon battles and working all the time. Man, I had no idea until after the both of you had already…well, you know.” Hop laughed at the memory and the way Light’s face turned an even darker shade of red. “I swear mate, I thought he was going to burst into flames when he told me. He’d been pretty off while you were away. I thought he was just feeling a little overworked stepping back into your role as Champion and still fulfilling his role as Chairman while you were gone. And I had no idea what you were going through with Rai. When Lee told me that he hurt you, I almost flew my own Corviknight over to Hammerlocke to pummel him.”

“It’s not too weird for you, right?” Light asked, realizing it was too little too late to be having this conversation, but it was one she hadn’t had the chance to have with her best friend. “Me and Lee.”

Hop shook his head. “Nah mate. It’s not like you and I would have ever been an item. I thought about it once, that night we camped together in your tent after I managed to let my camping gear get trampled and ripped up by that Pangoro. It bothered me that you’re, well, you’re gorgeous, and we were sharing a sleeping bag, and yet I felt nothing. Thought about just kissing you to see if that changed anything. But I realized it would be like kissing a sister, like dating my sister. I guess that’s kind of what you’ve always been to me, you know? You’ve been there for me whenever things got bad, or took care of me when I was sick and my mum was away, and even let me crash in your camp whenever I couldn’t be in mind. Guess it makes more sense now that you’re with my brother.”

Light remembered the night he was talking about. It had been a couple days into their adventure in the Wild Area. Her Rabboot had been incredibly excited about the spicy curry they’d just cooked up at her campfire when Hop came bustling up to them, wildly explaining the story of the Pangoro and his camping equipment, looking absolutely panicked as they were fairly far out from the nearest store that would carry camping essentials and it was already dark out. She’d agreed to let him stay with her and that they’d ride their bikes into Motosoke the next day. Snuggling up next to Hop had felt nice, in a purely platonic way. She’d also thought about the idea of testing those waters, but more because they’d been something she’d never done before. Hop had kissed a few girls throughout the course of their high schooling together, possibly gone farther than that- to which his responses were always vague and clouded- but Light had always shied away from dating and physical affection. She’d wondered if it would be so bad to indulge in some of those experiences with her best friend, just to get them out of the way. Thankfully she’d fallen asleep, exhausted after all the Dynamaxed Pokemon she’d fought and intense training she’d done with her Pokemon, before she could put any further though or action behind those words. She laughed at the fact that Hop had felt the same urge, and both had ultimately decided on the same conclusion. 

That kinship, the familial friendship that ran between them was what made their friendship work so well, especially as the rivals they were during their Gym Challenge. That kinship was why their friendship still had worked even after Light had defeated Hop in the semifinals and fulfilled Hop’s own dream of beating his older brother and becoming the Champion, something that Leon and Sonia’s friendship hadn’t survived during their Gym Challenge. Hop had expressed to her before that he’d been fairly torn up about losing out on what he thought was his dream initially but had pretty quickly decided that he was truly happy for her in her new role as Champion, in much the same way he couldn’t blame Leon for all the attention his mom gave the former Champion for his achievements. He was proud of Leon, and proud of Light regardless, which ultimately was the feeling that had won out and only strengthened their friendship once Hop had decided his own path. 

“What about you?” Light said, deflecting the conversation to her best friend. 

“What about me?” Hop asked with a smug grin, feigning innocence. 

Once again, Light glared at him. “You really don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you and Klara are cozying up to each other? Or that Lee hasn’t told me about how snug she looked riding your Corviknight on the way back from the incident with Calyrex?” With that, the conversation had easily shifted from herself to Hop as the purple-haired male floundered to defend himself. They fell back into an easy, familiar pattern of chatting about the details of their personal lives and Pokemon-related topics. Hop filled her in on how it was to watch Sonia’s Yamper battle some of the mind-controlled Pokemon and Light filled him in on the dedication to protecting Galar that Swordbert and Shielbert had demonstrated the past few weeks. 

Once in Wyndon, the pair of rivals fell into an easy routine of working together when anything popped up in the city and filling in for Leon while he was away. The current Chairman had contacted his associates at the Battle Tower to let them know of their arrival and acting position until he’d returned. Thankfully, the staff were more than welcoming. Light wasn’t sure if it was the universal respect for the Champion title, the fact that Hop was Leon’s younger brother, or just the Leon had only kept on the most wonderful of staff at the Tower when he’d taken over that made their behavior so amenable. When all was said and done, she’d bake some sweets for the accommodating staff, Light noted to herself as they worked. Thankfully, with the recent dangers, most people opted to stay indoors and all battle-related events such as Gym Leader matches, exhibition matches, the Galarian Stars Tournament, and the Battle Tower were on hiatus until further notice, so the job was fairly easy for the two of them to manage. Swordbert and Shielbert were also the most accommodating of the associates present, offering frequently to help out with whatever was going on. Both trainers found themselves surprised at the change and progress the two brothers had made in less than a year. 

***

Back in Wedgehurst, Leon went back into Hop’s apartment to ready his Pokemon for the day. He planned to do some training and camping with them as he scouted for any dangerous Pokemon. His Charizard led the way to keep him from getting lost, but otherwise Leon kept Mr. Rime outside of its Pokeball today. The psychic-type seemed thrilled to be out of its ball and in the fresh air with its trainer, breaking into a tap-dance as it walked. Their pace was slowed down slightly by the movement, but Leon was happy to see his Pokemon comfortable. 

“You ready to do some training today, buddy?” Leon asked it as they stopped at a nice spot in Dappled grove. There were plenty of weaker Pokemon for Mr. Rime to battle against that hopefully wouldn’t be too hard on the Pokemon after a hiatus from battling. Leon’s theory proved right when the Mr. Rime easily defeated the creatures and beamed up and him proudly. He and the ice-type high-fived and Charizard roared happily at his friend. They carried on like this for a while, slowly venturing further and further into the Wild Area to take on tougher challenges. Thankfully, no strong Pokemon with red eyes appeared before them today. The entire area seemed far quieter than usual, possibly due to the person controlling the devices having been captured.

After a few hours, Sonia met him by the meetup spot for lunch. Since Leon’s cooking wasn’t any better than average at best, he’d asked the redhead to make him and Mr. Rime lunch at camp to help make their experience better. At least until Mr. Rime was feeling friendly enough to tolerate Leon’s poor cooking skills. The young professor had reluctantly agreed, threatening that if he got lost and was late that she’d pack up and leave. Thankfully, Charizard was pretty familiar with the Wild Area by this point. 

“Hey, this is just like old times,” Leon joked as the smell of Sonia’s curry wafted through the air. The redhead always had a knack for cooking curry- especially the trendiest curries. Somehow, she always managed to find every perfect ingredient and make it exactly as the recipe specified. Of course, eating it with their Pokemon was an even better bonus. Yamper yipped happily at Mr. Rime, who approached the pup hesitantly at first, but quickly warmed to the small electric-type as they began a game of chase around the area. Leon occasionally cheered for his Pokemon, adding to their excitement. Sonia laughed as she put the finishing touches on her curry and began dishing them out into bowls. “Not exactly like old times,” she countered as she handed Leon his bowl, smiling at him. 

Leon contemplated this for a moment as he handed a bowl to his Mr. Rime before digging into his own bowl. “What do you mean, Son?”

Sonia giggled. “You! Well, and me too I suppose. You’re not just some kid with big dreams anymore that’s as helpless as a lost litten. You’re still terrible with directions, but you’ve grown Leon. You’re more considerate and understanding of others now. More perceptive and responsible. Not that you weren’t those things to an extent before, but you could also be a little one-track minded back then. You seem calmer and happier now too. And I’m glad for you.”

He smiled. “Thanks,” he said earnestly. “What about you?”

Another laugh, putting her finger on her chin in thought. “I suppose I figured out what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. I was no longer a lost Yamper following a future-champion that I had a moony-eyed crush on around Galar trying to impress him by winning. I never really put full effort into Pokemon training, so it’s nice to have worked hard on something and have it work out.”

Leon blushed in embarrassment. Truthfully, he’d never known in the slightest that Sonia had had anything resembling a crush on him back then and was finding out about it for the first time now. Not that knowing at any point in time would have changed anything, but Leon didn’t always like how careless he could be at times in his youth. Being away from his mom and Hop had really flipped that switch for him. With only getting to see them every once and awhile after he became the Champion, Leon had learned to be as perceptive to his family’s feelings each time he was with them, especially once his father had died. “Gee Son, I’m s-“

“Oh goodness, no it was ages ago!” Sonia cut him off with a genuine smile, letting him know that she meant it when she said things were fine. “Though I suppose it’s only natural that now I’m responsible for the other brother from Postwick, although he seems far easier to manage. He doesn’t make me cook him food every day or get lost on the way to the lab. I tell him what to do and he does it, unlike someone I know,” she teased. “But seriously, I’m happy things seem to be going really well for you,”

“Thanks Sonia, you too,” Leon said earnestly, smiling at his former best friend. 

Leon continued his routine similar to that first day for the next two weeks. A few mind-controlled Pokemon appeared in the Wild Area that were easily taken down by his Charizard and Mr. Rime, but otherwise the area remained quiet for most of the time. His bond with Mr. Rime seemed to grow every day, yet Magnolia still was able to bring him under the control of the device each time. Charizard had volunteered to let Magnolia try the device on it, but was easily able to resist the device. “You probably just need more time to grow with Mr. Rime, dear,” Magnolia encouraged him after the fourteenth day of the tests. “After all, you’ve known Charizard for nearly 20 years. Give it some more time and effort.”

Which is of course what Leon decided he would do. He even let Mr. Rime in on most of his nightly video calls to Light. With the exception of their less appropriate calls. Of course, with Hop around their hotel suite near constantly, those were very far and in between. Only when he actively reached out to his younger brother for some privacy were they able to have those moments. Thankfully, Hop understood how embarrassed Leon would be to make those requests to begin with and happily obliged, usually going for a stroll or to the café. But when those moments did occur, goodness was Leon thankful for them. Even Sonia teased him for how much he missed and talked about her. In good spirits of course. The redhead loved the current Champion in an almost sisterly-like fashion. Though their relationship had strained slightly once Light became busy in Wyndon, Light had always made a point to also visit Sonia any time she visited the young professor’s assistant. Her experience with Leon in the past had prepared her for the dynamic shift once Light became the Champion, so their relationship changed far more smoothly than hers and Leon’s had. 

Two more weeks went by with the same results until Leon and Magnolia finally discovered something incredible. Immediately, Leon dialed Light on his Rotom phone. “Hey love, come to Wedgehurst as soon as you can. We have something incredible to show you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated having these two split up, but I also really wanted to get some cute moments with Hop/Light and Sonia/Leon as friends in there since the two pairs of friends haven't had much time to interact since all of the craziness started. Of course, Hop is pretty great. with jumping right back into things and Sonia and Leon's relationship seems to be stronger than it was in awhile. 
> 
> Also, yes I headcanon Sonia as having had feelings for Leon XD but they were pretty fleeting and are completely nonexistent now. Sonia is truly happy for Leon and Light (: As is Hop


End file.
